


The Four Elements

by orphan_account



Category: DanPlan, Video Blogging RPF, actuallyoddplan
Genre: :), Also they are elementals, Alternate Universe, And also some minor character death, And domics, Angst, Backstory™, Character Death, DanPlan - Freeform, Elemental AU, Elias - Freeform, Gen, Jocat - Freeform, M A J O R, Major character death - Freeform, Mild Gore, OCs - Freeform, Pantless pajamas, Pls bear with my inconsistent writing style, Slight Violence, Tabbes, The Amaazing, The Author Regrets Everything, also OCs, danplan au, fluff in platonical
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:20:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 30,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22276999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: The au I stuck with for more than 3 months and beyond and wrote the first few chapters before the 9 months of arguing ended :’’)In which normal uni students Daniel Lim, Hosuh Lee and Jay Ko, along with street pickpocket Stephen Ng, meet due to unfortunate circumstances and get unwillingly sucked into a portal to another world. And have to save that world before they do reach back home.Tough luck.A danplan fanfiction
Relationships: platonic relationships only
Comments: 44
Kudos: 56





	1. And So |1|

"Here?"

Uncertainty swept across his face in waves.  
"Yeah. Here." the other said smoothly. "Really, nothing to worry. At least I don't think anything dangerous is in there."

"You don't 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬."

"You want to complete the dare, don't you?"

Jackle faced the small house, broken windows and the nearly unhinged door swinging in the night breeze, the small squeak it made loud in the silence. 

"Okay."

Jackle took a few tentive steps forward. The other just stood, mute.

Nothing happened.

He was not more brave with this fact.

𝘖𝘬𝘢𝘺, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩.

He stepped into the small house. He planted his foot right on a loose and rotting floorboard, and it collapsed under his weight, scaring the heck out of him. The house's seemingly even more sinister inside its walls in complete darkness, nothing in the room completely visible. 

But there was something glowing. It drew his gaze like a beacon and held it there.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵?

It glowed, not from any obvious light source, but rather an abstract form, hovering in the centre of the room. Just as it drew his attention, it compelled him to move.

Before he knew it, the light was right in front of Jackle. The light danced, in shades of blue, sliver, bronze and orange, changing shape every few moments.

He was compelled to touch it. Just like how it compelled him to walk towards it.

Like it would fix anything, anything for him if he just reached out a hand, a simple movement-

His fingers touched the entity.

The lights seemed to glow for a second, and then part itself, the blues from the slivers, the bronze from the orange. Soon there was 4 specks of light hovering.

Like they were waiting. 

(𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵?)

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐'𝘮 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

"What?" Jackle couldn't ignore the fear that blossomed full out in his chest. He whipped around, just for a baseball bat to hit his head. He fell to the ground, blood flowing out from the wound from the bat. 

The figure stands, baseball bat in hand, smile glinting. 

"It's done, X." 

𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘌. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭.

"Thank you." 

No need.

Another cloaked figure strode in. It tilted its head as if it was surveying something. 

𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵.

It glided forward, reaching a hand out. The specks of light swirled towards it. The sliver speck hesitated, but then spun towards its hand, sinking into the being. The blue speck nestled itself into the plam of the figure before dissolving into the being. The bronze speck circled the figure's head a few times before diving right into the figure. The orange one just simply went into it. 

The figure glowed for a moment before returning to its normal shadowy form. 

𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵.

The other figure with the baseball bat bowed slightly. 

"It's my pleasure to serve you, X." 

\-------------------------

Daniel frowned. 

"Jackle Ho? I knew him. He always sat behind me in bio class." 

"Yeah, he's kind and popular, isn't he? I don't get how that happened." Shai said somberely, pursing her lips. She smoothed the newspaper down, showing the headlines: 

  
Boy found dead from knock to head

"Guess everyone has enemies. It's sad how reality often is, " AJ said, poking his head out to them. "But yeah, nothing other than that really happened, except that usual pro pickpocketer. Another wallet and cash stolen, credit cards left.

"I kinda wonder how that is possible, but guess anything's possible by this point with that murder." 

"I guess. You guys coming to the cafe later?" Dan said, partially to change the uncomfortable topic to something less depressing. 

"Of course. We'll be there at 4 o'clock sharp. Don't you worry, Danny." Pau laughed, patting Dan on the head. 

"Don't do that." Dan said, batting Pau on the arm. 

They walked over to the school gates. Dan waved an energetic hand to them and walked off towards his house. 

He did not see anything on the way. Not that wisp of something like black smoke following him. 

\-------------------------

The dirty and torn messenger bag hung from his shoulder, used for a long time. However, it was still holding on, something that amazed him considering how frayed and torn the fabric was. 

And more importantly, it could still hold and contain the stolen wallets. Not like there was any money left in them (because he gave most of it to the children), only a small stash in the front pocket, but they were keepsakes. 

Also because he might get immediately caught by someone. 

And that was part of the thrill of pickpocketing. 

He strode easily with the afternoon crowd, looking forward like anyone, as though he had to get somewhere. 

Though he had nowhere to get to. Ha. More like to 𝘨𝘦𝘵 something. 

He spotted a potential figure. It was a uni student, a boy with green hair. He had a white tote bag. And a wallet sticking conspicuously from a back pocket. 

He walked gradually closer, as naturally as possible. Stretching out a slender hand, he held the wallet in his tight grip. And he pulled it gently. 

The wallet slid out easily. 

He smiled a half smile. 

And then the boy turned around. The green haired boy's emerald eyes met those of his. And also took in the sight of his wallet in another boy's hand, halfway into the messenger bag. 

Ooops. 

And before he could react, the other grabbed his wrist in an iron-clad grip. 

\-------------------------

Daniel stared at the pickpocket. 

The pickpocket was a boy he had never seen before, however, someone about his age, judging from the height and the face. 

The pickpocket gazed at him, lips pulling up in a slight smirk, something that intimidated him for no reason whatsoever. 

"Hi." The pickpocket said casually, messy violet locks spilling over his forehead into his eyes that were burning with determination. 

"Are you that pickpocket?" 

"I don't know what you are talking about." He smiled ever so slightly, tilting his head in mock innocence. 

Daniel frowned even more. "You know what I'm talking about." 

The other smiled even wider. 

Then the pickpocket suddenly lost his smile, shifting his line of sight and staring off into the distance as though seeing something horrific. 

"What-" Dan turned around and saw nothing but various people walking toward their own destination. 

When he turned back, his grip was empty. 

"What the f-" 

Urgh. Classic distraction tactics. 

He scanned the area, searching for a certain shade of purple.

There it was- a flash of the brightest violet, and a blur of movement. The pickpocket looked back for a moment. They both locked eyes for a second.

And then he sped away.

𝘖𝘩 𝘯𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴.

Dan set his brow and ran after him.

\-------------------------

Stephen groaned a little. Why the fuck was this guy so hard to get off his tail? 

He dodged a lady hurrying along in the other direction, credit cards still in his hand. He was planning on putting the cards back in the guy's pocket, but maybe not now that he had shown how irritatingly persistent he was. 

A glance back showed him how a now irritatingly familiar green head was nearing. Ah, shit. 

He swiveled sharply, cutting into a back alley he knew like his own house (because it was sort of where he stayed). 

The soft patter of fast footsteps behind him gradually increased in frequency and volume. He usually could outrun anyone, but not this annoying plant dude. 

Stephen slid around a bend, skidding a little, running harder. 

"Hey! Stop running if you wanna not go to jail!" 

Yeah, right. 

Stephen could now hear by the heavy breathing of the plant guy and the slight tone at the end of his speech that he was tired. Well. He himself obviously had more endurance. 

He ignored the boy's call, choosing instead to run further. 

And just for fun, he threw the credit cards behind him. 

𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well yes, Stephen is my fav  
> Pls don't @ me  
> And yes, the Actually Stephen things  
> But he doesn't care about the aus so I'm posting my Wattpad story here (no, the story's not as bad as the name Wattpad suggests)


	2. Well, Things Escalated |2|

Hosuh was tired and worn out at the end of the demanding school day.

He did not need any disturbtion during his quiet walk home cradling his art supplies in his arms. His backpack had limited space. He also certainly did not need a green-haired boy to knock right smack into him. 

"Sorry!" the boy apologised, while the items landed with various different sounds, eyes still looking ahead, focused on another goal other than helping him. He continued to run, not looking back. 

"Hey! At least help me!" Hosuh yelled to the fleeing figure, a slight tinge of annoyance colouring his cheeks. He recognised the boy as that popular kid Daniel Lim from his university. Huh. Guess being popular does change how you treat others. 

So he's left picking up his own art stuff. 

He hurriedly picked up his items, hoping nothing was broken. He grasped a case of color pencils and a pallete. At the edge of his vision, he saw another hand reaching down, picking up some of the various art materials strewn on the pavement. Hosuh glanced up. It was another boy, this time blonde, hair sticking out slightly like spikes. His eyes appeared to be --closed? What? 

"Here you go." The vaguely familiar boy handed over the various art items to Hosuh. 

"T-thanks..." Hosuh looked down, slightly awkward and shy like how he always was in company even when he had kind of asked for some help in the first place. 

"No problem. Hey, do you know why that plant boy's running?" 

Hosuh frowned a little. "No, I assume he ran off to avoid helping me." 

"Nah, he's clearly chasing something. See how he's leaning forward and pushing other people apart while running? I'd say he was chasing something or someone."

The blonde seemed to be staring in a certain direction. Following his gaze, Hosuh espied a certain green-headed boy parting a crowd, grumbles aimed his way.

"You can tell?"

Then Jay took off without warning in the guy's pursuit.

"Wha-- hey, where're you going?"

The blonde ignored hosuh entirely, choosing instead to focus on the path towards the green boy.

Hosuh stared at both the figures sprinting in the same direction.

And then he scrambled upright. Holding the art supplies in his arms, he sighed a little.

Times just like this made hosuh almost curse at his overwhelming sense of curiosity. 

He fixed his eyes on the blonde dude. 

𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.

Hosuh ran towards the two disappearing figures, skidding a little, the passers-by faces blurring together. 

𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.

\-------------------------

Stephen ran like the fucking wind. 

He heard now not just a pair of lumbering footsteps, but the patter of not two, but six feet slapping against the pavement of the alley. 

How did that happen? 

He spared a glance back. He saw, in that split second, the face of the plant boy, screwed up a little with the fire of determination, and the blur of the colours blonde and sliver. 

He had absolute certainty that whoever these people were, they wouldn't hesitate to drag him to the police. 

He faced ahead quickly, licking his lips as a habit, focusing on running faster. He brushed some of his hair out of his eyes. 

And knocked right into something hard. 

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬?

Stephen shifted his gaze up and was instantly blinded by the searing light from a light source. 

That hadn't been there before. 

Light wasn't matter, either. 

He lifted a hand to his eyes, shielding them from the harsh glare, strangely no longer bothered with running from the people right behind him catching up. 

It seemed to be an... entity of sorts, a mass of light of different colours. Stephen's tortured eyes could still make out the faint colours of blue, sliver, bronze and orange. 

The sliver glowed brighter than the rest. 

Something filled him, a sense of certainty nothing like he had ever felt before. It pulled his hand, raising it up, positioning it right in front of the entity. 

It felt amazing. 

And then he touched it with a finger. 

The light split outwards, away from his outstretched finger, swirling around him, breaking into four parts. The light kind of retracted, compacting into something like four hovering orbs, all based on the colour. 

Sliver, blue, bronze, orange. 

\-------------------------

Jay skidded to a stop. 

Why did that plant guy stop running suddenly? 

The guy had stopped just as suddenly as the other guy with purple hair he was chasing for presumably no reason. 

So he stopped too. Is it something in front? 

"Umm, Jay, was it?" the quiet voice of the sliver-haired boy quivered beside him, giving away the confusion the boy must be feeling. 

"Uh-huh. What is that?" 

Jay neared the other two. There seemed to be a kind of light, several coloured lights in fact, from the weird glow it gave reflected off the two's faces. He approached the purple headed boy at the front with a fast pace despite the frantic tugging on his right sleeve and whispers for him not to move. 

Because why not. If he died, he wouldn't have to even pay off those student loans. 

The glow grew brighter as he neared, reaching near blinding. He squinted his eyes. 

Four orb-like lights in blue, sliver, bronze and orange floated around the motionless figure of the boy with a undercut, purple hair that fell forwards shining slightly in the reflected light of the orbs. 

"What--" the voice of the boy with the sliver ponytail, soft with surprise and wonder, spoke out. 

Jay couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from the orange orb. 

The orbs rose up a little, slowly. 

Then, in a swift and silent movement, the orbs scattered. 

Jay watched nonchalantly as the orange orb darted down towards him, the one that seemed adnormally attractive to him. He watched as the orb got closer and closer until he could see the dancing sparks of light present in the orb. 

He watched as the orb darted right into him. 

\-------------------------

Hosuh could barely react when the blueish orb of magic went right into his body. 

𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦.

He clawed at his chest where the orb disappeared, trying desperately to get that thing out, but it evidently had absolutely no effect whatsoever. 

What 𝘪𝘴 that thing? 

He observed unconsciously from the edge of his vision that the orbs had each flew right into each person present in the alley, though he didn't care much at the moment because something supernatural just flew into him--

Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh god oh god--

He was aware of his face heating up and the wild panic probably written clearly on his face, highlighting exactly how frightened he was.

The spot the orb disappeared felt kinda weird, a bit tingly of sorts, like when cold wind blows gently across your skin. It's not cold, not warm, but it just is.

Don't worry, Hosuh didn't get it either.

The tingly feeling spread slowly to his limbs, reaching all the way to his fingers and his toes. The ponytail he always had draped over a shoulder felt lighter, and when Hosuh looked over, saw his hair floating, shining with unknown light, no longer resting on his shoulder blade.

And then he rose.

It wasn't just happening to him, it was happening to all the other people with him in the deserted back alley, the green-haired rude guy, the dirty boy with violet hair falling over one eye, and the blonde guy who helped him earlier, all rose, not in the sense of standing, but of hovering, of something like flying.

Hosuh, in his state of shock and disbelief, looked towards the others in hopes of some help, any help. However, the others seemed to be as preoccupied as he was with the events that were unfolding. The green plant boy waved his arms crazily around as though he might be able to physically be able to get back on the ground with purely his might. It would have been funny in another situation if there wasn't reflected fear in the boy's eyes. The purple mohawk guy looked down at the ground that increasingly grew further, a slight frown on his face, his lips slightly pursed. The guy who had helped him just looked towards Hosuh with closed eyes (what? How?), face arranged to what anyone would call surprised. Hosuh recognised then how he wouldn't be able to do anything to get down to the ground and kept silent, though innerly still panicking. The plant boy, however, was voicing that verbally and quite loudly. The others mirrored Hosuh in his silence. 

Hosuh looked down and saw that they were now approximately a few feet off the ground. The familiar sense of nausea filled him, and he closed his eyes tight, trying to somehow trick his mind into thinking that he wasn't even that high up. It worked a little, the tight knot dissolving.

𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴,  
𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭.  
𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.  
𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘭.  
𝘠𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴.  
𝘠𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴.  
𝘐𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, shitty writing and stuff, thank you  
> I'll yeet myself from the room don't worry


	3. So They Part |3|

When Dan next opened his eyes from what seemed like an eternity later, he was standing upright, legs straight, hands down, on the ground. Relief flooded him like a tidal wave and he stumbled backwards a little, almost collapsing in his state of shock and the way his legs trembled like jelly. 

He almost laughed out loud tiredly because he was finally back on solid, hard ground. Something finally made sense, just as much as the fact that gravity wasn't working properly previously. 

What the fudge was that just now? And when did I even close my eyes? 

His head buzzed a little, weirdly enough. He pressed two fingers on his temple. Rather than giving the satisfying sense of pleasure, the buzz escalated, louder in his eyes, no longer a type of white noise. 

It didn't hurt at all. 

However, it was as if something had changed. Something was different. 

As faintly intriged as he was by this weird notion, he also remembered the rest. 

Dan looked toward the pickpocket first. 

To see him sprawled on the ground, eyes closed, breathing short and rapid. His purple hair spilled all over the ground limply. Dan was close enough to see sweat glistening in his face and the small frown present on his slightly tanned face. 

The guy looked as though he had collapsed. 

His instincts reacted first, no hesitation. 

Dan ran toward the slender figure on the ground, stumbling a little. 

He glanced backwards quickly at the other vaguely familiar uni students, the sliver and blonde one with kinda closed eyes, something he noticed before but never understood. 

"Help me!" he yelled and turned his head back to face the unconscious boy on the ground, but not before seeing their heads rip around, eyes finding the scene before them. 

Dan knelt beside the boy. He quickly took out his tote bag, rummaged through it quickly and pulled out a waterbottle full to the brim. 

(𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺, 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳.)

The two pairs of feet stopped around him as the sliver-haired boy knelt down too, a worried expression on his face. The blonde one knelt next to the boy's head, placing it on his lap. 

"Can you hear me?" Dan said frantically beside the boy. There was a short pause of silence. In a sort of response, the boy flinched a little, letting out a sound like a groan. 

"Are you alright?" a soft voice beside Dan asked. The boy's eyes flickered a little, but there was no verbal response. 

"What's happened to him?" the guy with closed eyes asked Dan, tilting his head downwards as though staring at the figure on the ground. 

"I don't know. Probably it's dehydration, or something physically ill with the guy." Dan unscrewed the bottle. He should know. He aspired to be a doctor one day, to save and help people. But the best guess was probably the former under such a blazing hot day. 

The cap clattered softly on the ground as Dan lifted the bottle opening to the boy's slightly open mouth. Water wet the dry and cracked lips. The semi-conscious boy appeared to be swallowing the water.

𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥.

The one beside Dan reached out a hand to feel the forehead.

"Slightly warm, but I think it may be within normal temperature range." the guy with the ponytail said. 

The boy stirred. 

"You 'kay?" the blonde said to the boy.

Dan watched as the boy with purple hair opened his eyes glaring at the three of them, and said spitefully, "Didn't think I'd wake up to see idiots all around me."

Dan frowned. "We were trying--"

"Nah, save your crap, you're doing this to send me off to the police, aren't you? And get your goddamn reward money or something?"

The boy staggered upright, pushing the blonde's away.

"You know what? I think I'm going to go."

"Hey, wait, you aren't well enough to go yet--"

A flash of purple, and he was gone.

Dan stumbled to his feet, completely ignoring the waterbottle on the ground, preparing to chase that darn pickpocket.

The sliver haired boy caught his arm, pulling it back." No, don't. You know that wouldn't help, would it? Besides, he's got a headstart. I don't think you can chase up to him in your state now. Look, whatever that thing was at first, it evidently all drained our energy level, especially that guy's."

"Anyway, I have a sense that we're going to see him again soon." the blonde beside him spoke unexpectedly. Dan turned to see a flash of red and orange. When he blinked, it disappeared, and it was only the blonde with the closed eyes.

"Jay." the blonde held up a hand in greeting.

Dan stared at the outstretched hand for a while before realising that it was the blonde's--Jay's name. Dan awkwardly shook it. 

"Daniel, but you can call me Dan."

"My name's Hosuh. Pleasure to meet you." the sliver-haired boy smiled softly, also shaking Dan's hand.

There was a pause, not uncomfortable, but something like contemplating of the events prior, taking in whatever the hell had happened.

"Should we go?" the sliver-haired boy (𝘏𝘰𝘴𝘶𝘩, 𝘏𝘰𝘴𝘶𝘩) said uncertainly.

"I guess. Nothing to do or see here." Jay said.

And with a last look around there, a last glance, they walked outwards from the alley.

The wisp of black smoke floated off to whereabouts unknown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, short chapter yada yada yada. But yes, I already have 10 chapters written and stuff so be super patient.
> 
> On a schedule, I'll probably post once a week if I can. If not, it'll be less than 2 weeks :)
> 
> Thanks for reading


	4. So It Begins |4|

Dan knew his parents wouldn't believe him, but he knew one person who would. 

He speed-walked home, not before giving a soundless goodbye to Hosuh and Jay (who were still wearing their university's uniforms unlike the pickpocket), mind already somewhere else. If Hosuh and Jay noticed, they chose not to say anything, for all of them were lost in their own thoughts. 

He jiggled the key in the lock fast, pushing open the door of his house with force. He let the door slam the adjacent wall with a loud bang. 

His parents weren't home yet as usual, but the sky blue closed door of one of the rooms indicated the presence of another human being. 

Dan ran to the closed door, flinging his poor bag to the side. As it hit the hard marble floor with a thump, Dan yelled loudly at the door. 

"Elias! Elias, open up! I gotta tell you something!" 

He pounded at the door. 

"Eli!" 

He almost fell over when Elias pulled open his door suddenly, cobalt blue hair falling into his eyes. 

"What, Dan?" he asked boredly. 

"Just now, I was chasing the pickpocket-- you know, the one that leaves credit cards? I caught him!--and then there were two other people and then there were like 4 light orb things and they were, like, floating and they literally flew into us one each, and it was surreal--" 

"Dan! What are you saying...?" 

"I--I'm saying that I finally believe you." 

"That magic is real." 

"Yes. I'm sorry for not believing something we actually witnessed firsthand ourselves." 

There was a pause, a kind of awkward one, though also one of relief for both parties. No one spoke in the silent household, the distant howl of wind clearly heard. Then Elias lifted his head to face him, a wisp of a smile on his lips. 

"O-kay. Now, repeat to me slowly what happened just now." Elias said, shattering the fragile silence, forgiving Dan in that instant, moving back to his room and sitting himself on the bed, eyes still on Dan, his attention fully on him. Dan smiled too, moving into his room as well, although he stood instead. 

Elias nodded encouragingly, eyes still covered by his overly long fringe, but Dan could still feel his brother's warm gaze on him, a supportive brother as always. 

Taking a deep breath, Dan spilled the whole story. 

\------------------------- 

"So... The orbs went inside each of you?" 

"Yeah... Each of us. Four to four of us." 

"You feel fine? Do you absolutely feel fine?" 

Dan nearly laughed at the evident worry in Elias' voice. "Yeah, I'm totally sure, I don't feel any different from earlier, only like a little less energetic. Don’t worry.” 

“How do I not? You tell me,” Elias fretted, patting Dan all over to ensure he wasn’t missing any body parts. 

“Really, though, do you think it’s anything bad or important?” Dan turned towards him. 

Elias considered it for a while. 

“Nah, it didn’t seem to hurt you, did it? I guess maybe it’s like rogue bits of magic? I don’t know! Oh yeah, what did you say their names were again?” 

“Hosuh and Jay.” 

“And...?” 

Dan sighed. 

“You know, the pickpocket. He ran off without even thanking me or anything. It’s not like he goes to our university anyway.” 

“Hmm.” Elias went silent for a while, raising to stroke his chin’s non-existent beard. “Maybe you could talk to these people, the Jay and the other guy, in school or something? Talk a bit.” 

“Yeah, I’ll do that. Thanks, Eli. You’re the best. What can I ever do without you?” Daniel declared dramatically, one hand placed on his forehead, then proceeding to hug Elias one-handed. Elias laughed softly, hugging Dan back. 

Out of the cast shadows in the room, a dark wisp emerged, crawling, and unnoticed by either, it slunk out through the open window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People have been asking me if I was going to continue. Yes, I will! As I said, I already have 10 chapters planned and written, so stay tuned!   
> Thanks you all for reading!


	5. My Hand Slipped— |5|

Bright sunlight spilled through Hosuh's closed window, scattering everywhere in his small room. Rather than alarm clocks, Hosuh preferred waking up naturally, which was why curtains were absent where they should be and the silent digital clock beside him.

7.30am.

He shook the dream from his head, something strangely reminiscent of the happenings of yesterday. 

Sliding gently from his single bed, Hosuh's feet touched the carpeted ground, awakening his senses for the day. He got up and prepared for school, also known as the threatening aspect of every weekday he'd grown to hate.

Uniform donned and backpack on his frail shoulders, he proceeded out of his room and to the main door, but not before wishing his high school brother Joey a good day. 

And with a final wave at his groggy brother who grinned slightly at him, Hosuh made his way to school.

\-------------------------

Hosuh arrived at the university in less than ten minutes. Since he had a while till assembly, he decided to walk around a bit in campus before going to the assembly hall. Slinging his bag now only on one shoulder, he held the strap loosely in a fist. The halls were empty of students, something he was greatful of. Hosuh moved along the halls alone, a earpiece in his ear, humming slightly to the music while he walked. He had found over time introvertedly that it helped him relax, if not just a bit.

Hosuh closed his eyes, smiling wanly. The music soothed him the way others' company never did. 

Then he felt something wet on his left forearm.

Snapping his eyes open abruptly like waking from a particularly bad nightmare, Hosuh quickly looked over at the spot.

There was no drenched hand, but instead just a single droplet.

A single droplet, a round one, balancing perfectly on his forearm.

And beside the droplet was a whole lot of water, impossibly frozen in midair, like a small wave, cascading towards the ground.

Hosuh realised that his waterbottle, a really durable one, had burst.

He stared at the wave of water, almost touching his forearm but not quite. The pure shock he felt was comparable to the small incident from yesterday at the remote back alley.

What the actual--

In his fright and bewilderment, Hosuh observed the wave carefully as though he weirdly felt that he shouldn't. The water was suspended in the moment, light sparkling through it, clearly from his now-broken waterbottle.

𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯?

(Is it related to yesterday?)

Hosuh brought a hand up, though he wouldn't have known it at the time, an echo of a certain purple head. The wonder of the phenomenon and his natural curiosity was too great and severely outweighed the potential danger he spotted. The water sparkled, a tint of blue around it.

Hosuh brought his hand downwards quickly. 

The water seemed to break, and inches away from his hand the water suddenly decided to obey the laws of physics, springing into motion. It dived.

Needless to say, Hosuh had a side of his shirt drenched. Probably for the rest of the morning. 

Hosuh groaned, trying to wring the water out, but wherever he wrung the material, the water kinda moved sideways and up, and the part he tried to wring water out of was always dry. But when he let go, the water ran back to the same place. 

Also, the water never dripped out, preferring to stay put in the absorbent fabric. 

Hopelessly slapping the wet uniform in vain, Hosuh sighed. 

Well, shit. 

A glance to his watch told him that assembly was nearing. He sighed again, knowing if he were to be late, he would attract attention, something he hated with a fierce passion. A last hopeless glance at the soaked shirt. Hosuh then threw the broken bits into the bin and hurried to the hall, his mind still in spirals with the encounter with water.

Why was this all happening?

\-------------------------

And so Daniel found himself staring at the empty whiteboard in a sort of blank gaze. No matter how hard he tried to focus, it always backfired, the droning voice of the teacher dripping into his own thoughts, the thoughts that lead him again and again to whatever happened yesterday. 

The teacher said something about the content in the textbook, something Dan knew he wouldn't ever remember or recall later on in his life. 

Dan spun his pen around in his hand, the pen turning a full round around his thumb. 

As far as he knew, the orb didn't have any effect on him, bad or good, as he still felt like his usual self. Though then, what was the point of those orbs? What did they do? 

Was it completely due to chance it happened, or was it specifically meant for them? 

"Dan? Dan?"

More questions, no answers, an even bigger void of unknown.

He had to find out more. He had to. 

"Daniel!"

Dan finally looked to his left, a mild tinge of annoyance that was completely out of character, glaring at Ivu who sat adjacent to him.

"What?"

"Standuptheteacher!" Ivu breathed out.

Alarm quickly flowed through his being as he sprang up like a spring, to see the teacher right in front of him, beady eyes glinting.

"What is the answer, Daniel Lim?"

Ah, shit.

Then a flick. Dan felt something lightly smack his back, and Dan, out of sight of the teacher, by reflex got ahold of the object. The smooth and light texture and the tiny fold creases in the material from touch told him it was a folded-up note. Behind his back, Daniel unfolded it. Quickly feeling the note with light fingers, He felt several letters, written with force so as to carve the words on it.

𝘈-𝘳-𝘨 (𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘨?) 𝘰-𝘯? 𝘖𝘳 𝘮?

Argon. Argon!

Dan looked the teacher squarely in the eye.

"Argon. It's argon." Dan said cooly, though inwardly freaking out. 

The teacher stared at him for a moment, staring into his soul. 

Then she walked away. 

Dan exhaled quietly, sitting down slowly.

Ivu looked at Dan and the note, seemingly pleasantly surprised.

"Who wrote that?"

Dan brought the note from his back to the desktop when the teacher turned towards the whiteboard.

As expected, the rough words ARGON was written in impeccably neat handwriting but hasty streaks, and below that, a tinier message unable to be felt. 

𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦.  
-𝘏𝘰𝘴𝘶𝘩

Daniel snuck a look back. He saw a familiar sliver head right at the back, head down, but Hosuh looked up. Hosuh smiled slightly at Dan. Silently, Dan mouthed the words 'thank you'. Hosuh gave a small thumbs-up before returning to his previous head-down state.

Dan turned back to the front, smiling a little.

\-------------------------

The day passed by incredibly slowly, but Dan soon got to the end of the day painfully. When the teacher finally dismissed them 10 whole minutes late, he'd picked up his bag and run out, ignoring the calls of his usual friends and the murmurs they talked in, questioning why he'd stood them up yesterday and his apparent spaciness throughout the day. 

Well, he didn't have time for that.

Dan ran to the cafe, the one he had asked Jay and Hosuh to meet him at.

He hoped they read the note he tossed them.

Then he'll try to find the pickpocket, though it would probably be really hard to even get a glimpse of the signature purple hair. After yesterday.

Daniel reached the cafe in a record ten minutes, skidding to a stop (rip soles) outside the Corner Cafe.

He walked in, pushing the door open. The welcome bell rang, a light cheery sound.

He liked this cafe for a reason. There were sorta wooden benches with tables, tablecloth laid neatly on top. The warm light from the fake lamps and the red carpet contributed to the calm arua and great atmosphere of the cafe. He enjoyed time spent here a lot. He could always think the best there.

Dan took a quick look around, eyes landing on blonde and sliver hair.

He quickly speed-walked towards the figures, then waved a hand.

"Sorry I'm late, the teacher didn't let us off on time. And--"

Dan paused suddenly in his action of plonking his bag on the seat.

"Fuck you." the pickpocket leaned causally on the table, his expression disgruntled, arms crossed, with the slightly smug face of Jay nearby. 

"You wanted to find him?" 

\-------------------------

Jay waved his hand to Monika, bidding his best friend goodbye. As he walked, he brooded a little. Like always.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘭 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘧𝘦.

Jay unfolded the creased note again, smoothing it out.

𝑴𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒂𝒇𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒑𝒐𝒑𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒓 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆, 5𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒖𝒆. 𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍. 𝑾𝒆'𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒖𝒔𝒔. 𝑰'𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒈𝒖𝒚.  
-𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍

Jay looked up, subconsciously still taking in his surroundings, even if they were exactly the same as yesterday. Or the day before.

You get his drift.

The hordes of students were loud and attention-inducing, but Jay ignored that, his talent at observing minute and tiny details kicking in.

Then a dirty messenger bag.

Jay opened his eyes slightly, looking right at a boy who thought he was undetected, eyes searching, poised as though to turn away. 

The purple-haired mohawk guy immediately glanced over the moment Jay's eyes rested upon him.

Two people and an electrifying connection between each person, established through eye contact. Jay held it, waiting.

But the other never moved.

Both stood still, rooted, Jay ignoring the pushes and angry shouts for him to move.

𝑪𝒂𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒎𝒆?

Jay heard, yet others continued on their way, still pushing and shoving.

𝘠𝘦𝘴. 𝘠𝘦𝘴, 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯.

𝑯𝒐𝒘?

The simple word, hovering and quivering in the air, only heard by two people in the world.

𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭.

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆?

𝘈 𝘤𝘢𝘧𝘦, 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘺 𝘢 15 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴' 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬. 𝘞𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘵.

𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒈𝒖𝒚.

𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘭? 𝘠𝘦𝘴, 𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸.

Silence.

𝑯𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒏𝒐𝒕.

Jay smiled thinly at the other. He liked the other already, from his obvious chaotic evil nature. 

𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘦.

\-------------------------

"What?"

"Yeah, that's what I said too, but I guess at this point this isn't even an adnormality." Hosuh said, stirring his tea slowly, letting steam rise up to warm his face, expressionless. 

"Yeah, okay, I don't know how that happened. Close that gaping mouth; you'll get flies in," the purple-haired pickpocket--Stephen, apparently, said.

"See? I like Stephen already," Jay said, a slight smile on his lips.

"Shut up." Dan closed his indeed open mouth, a tint of red on his face.

"No you," the pickpocket said offhandedly.

Hosuh stared at each of them. "None of this still makes any sense, no least the mind sync thing. Like, it just created more questions that we can't answer within our abilities and knowledge."

"Of course not. It's like we're in a story. What's the point of the 'story' we're in if we solve it immediately like--" Jay snapped his fingers. 

"I'd like to believe that this is a perfectly shitty story then," Stephen said.

"Like why did this happen? Did it have to happen to us, or was it a let's-see-who-came-along thing? And we don't know what that thing did, but it did something, I'm sure of it."

"Oh, another thing." Hosuh sipped his tea, then put the cup back on the table. 

"Before school, something happened to me too. My waterbottle burst." Hosuh stopped Daniel, shushing him before he could interrupt. "Wait, there's more. The water inside kinda froze in midair, like gravity wasn't acting on it at all you know? Then I tried to touch it, but then it splashed me. And the thing is, I can't seem to wring to out of the uniform. And it didn't seem to evaporate either at all." Hosuh gestured to the darker side of his uniform, the colour clothes get when they got wet. 

" What-- How--" Daniel stuttered. 

" Yeah, we don't know either, so just get your head wrapped around it faster first, Daniel," the pickpocket said, not looking at him. 

"You act like this happens everyday!" 

"I'm not the one freaking out, am I?" 

"Stop it, you two. You both met on a bad first note. So put it down, Stephen. And Daniel, stop it. You probably don't know what he's gone through," Jay said swiftly, and his eyes seemed to flicker beneath his eyelids as though looking at both. 

Stephen brushed his hair out of his eyes, scoffing and turning away.

𝘐𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘵.

Dan turned to Hosuh."Today? Just today? Not yesterday?"

Hosuh nodded. "Yeah. Strangely enough."

There was a breeze through the cafe, one that stirred and moved unrestrained clothing. None paid attention to it, fixated on certain other things.

"Then what is the whole deal?" Dan brought a hand to his hair, running his fingers through it. 

Wind blew harder, something that should not be possible in an enclosed place.

"Guys..." Jay whispered.

"I don't know. But we're gonna find out." Hosuh turned towards Dan, eyes littered with the fire of a thousand hearths.

"Watch out!" 

Then a body flying into the three of them, then an explosion of light—

Screams, the issuers unknown—

Through the ballooning fear in his heart and lungs threatening to fill his mouth and hold it closed, Dan squinted through the light, similar to the light from yesterday—

There was a bluish circle, a rapid swirl of dark blue lights in the middle, moving around in the circle in a whirlpool of sorts. And there was an unknown factor, a type of pulling, dragging him and the others forward.

Daniel resisted against the force, leaning back, holding on to the table, gripping it tightly in a death grip. He saw the others, Jay doing the same as he was, Stephen too, but holding on to someone, someone about to be sucked into the hole, someone who had silver hair—

The force only seemed to pull him and the others, not even the table they all held onto. Daniel saw other customers stand up, blinded, stumbling out to the exit, either to run or to get immediate help. He couldn't care less at the moment, he and the others feet already leaving the ground, trying to pull them towards the hole—

"No!" he heard Stephen scream—

Dan watched helplessly as Hosuh was ripped from Stephen's grip, falling faster than was possible towards the hole, all of them unable to help—

Then Hosuh was gone—

The force was pulling more and more, and Dan lost a grip of a hand, now only hanging on with a hand, a hand that was losing grip as seconds went by—

He felt someone fly past him—

A blur of blonde, and Jay was gone, too—

Dan's remaining hand was jerked from the table edge—

He flew towards the centre, hands and legs trailing, hair flying. Dan couldn't think, couldn't react, couldn't hear. 

The last thing Dan saw was the panic-stricken face of Stephen before he hit the blue hole, and then blackness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so  
> It starts


	6. Strange Things, and Stranger, yet Curious |6|

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which some, but not all is revealed. Or probably nothing is.

Stephen opened his eyes. It was more of a simple opening, not like a typical nightmare, where your eyes snapped open quickly to launch yourself out of the nightmare. No, it was more peaceful, gentle, a slow awakening. 

It slowly dripped into him that he was actually lying on his back on something, on several somethings, based on the feeling on his bare skin and the slight cushioning they gave. There was a vague bluish sky colour and dark edges with a few dark shapes. 

Stephen moved his head to his side, seeing the red-golden colours. His gaze, blurred, slowly came into focus. He seemed to be lying on some autumn leaves, the whole floor blanketed with the same sort of leaves. The red-gold-brown of it physically started to invade Stephen's mind, and his forehead started throbbing just like the time he fainted for that damn Daniel to save him. Daniel, of the three. 

Stephen slowly pushed himself up using his right hand. A sharp pain immediately ripped through his arm and he clamped his mouth shut to avoid a scream, falling unceremoniously back to the leaf-ridden ground. 

It took him another try with his other hand to push himself upright, earning himself a full-blown headache. 

Peering through the pain, Stephen rubbed his right arm. He moved it gently in the socket. A sharp sear of pain, and his arm dropped back down. Fuck. A torn ligament? 

Stephen's consciousness registered the presence of trees around him. Trunks to be exact. Of course there had to be a place the leaves had fallen from. 

Stephen slowly got onto his feet. What on earth had happened? He looked around. It certainly wasn't the cafe, for the lack of an enclosed area. It wasn't the school the others went to either. 

And another thing. 

It hadn't been autumn in Canada. It had been the beginnings of spring. 

Nothing here was remotely spring-ish. 

He also noticed a few distinct colours too. 

Green, sliver, blonde. 

Well. They're here too. 

He remembered just before (a day ago? A week? Who knows how days worked here) the massive black hole, no, blue hole. It sucked them all inside, didn't it? 

(I don't remember exactly what--) 

𝘞𝘩𝘺?

So many questions he couldn't answer. 

His messenger bag's also not there. 

Stephen walked unsteadily towards the blonde colour blending together with the leaves. The leaves crunched underfoot, and twigs snapped. 

The headache was now more than annoying. 

He shook his head rapidly, trying to temporarily get rid of the headache. It worked. He rubbed his now slightly throbbing temple, standing in front of the fallen figure of a person he actually liked out of the three of them. Then Stephen squatted down. He moved near Jay's face. Jay looked almost angelic in the golden light, the constant slight frown from student loans absent, just Jay sleeping and/or knocked out. It was calming to look at. 

Then Stephen brutally blew air into Jay's ear. 

Jay stirred, leaves shifting below and beside him.

"Mom, stop it, only five more minutes. I swear. Mom, if today is a Saturday, I'm going to kill you."

Stephen stared at Jay, who was now motionless.

"I can't tell if you're awake or not."

"That is not my mother's voice."

"Because I am not your mother, whatever you think in your sleep-awake state."

"Ugh," Jay pushed Stephen's head away from where it was in front of his face. "I'm up."

Jay sprang up as though he was not at all hurt and ready to roll.

"Okay, so where is this place?"

"That is what I'm trying to know, but can't know. Because I don't know, plot?" Stephen blinked. "I didn't mean to say whatever the hell plot is."

Jay seemed to stare at him strangely.

"What?"

"Plot's something important in a story for books."

"I knew that."

"Yeah, you sure did."

Jay seemed to look away.

"Let me go and wake up the others."

"No, let me." Stephen grinned. "I have my methods."

Jay bowed mockingly, gesturing to the sliver and green hair on the ground. "If you may, your highness."

After smacking Jay's outstretched hand, Stephen approached Hosuh first. Kneeling down near to Hosuh, Stephen drew the small but sharp pocket knife from its holder strapped to his waist, funnily not blown away from Stephen in the weird blue hole thing, since it blew away his messenger bag. He still felt attached to the bag, and he felt a pang of sadness at his loss. 

No matter. Get to the thing on hand. 

"You're not gonna stop me?" Stephen hovered his knife above Hosuh, glancing up at Jay, who stood like a portrait in terms of movement. 

Jay smiled wanly. "Nah, you're not going to harm him. I can tell."

"Okay." Stephen brought the weapon down quickly. 

In mid air, the blade twisted to its flat side and landed on the warm skin of Hosuh Lee's stomach. An ice cold blade on warm skin. 

A violent jerk. 

"Ahhhhh! No! It's cold!" Hosuh jolted awake, eyes wide and panicky. 

Stephen brust into malicious laughter. 

"Hahahahahaha! Taste the blade on your stomach!" 

"Nooooooo!" Hosuh pushed the now-warm blade and Stephen's left knife-wielding arm away from him, face screwed up in an adorable cinnamon roll way. 

"Okay, that's enough. Stephen, be a good boy and pull that away and stop torturing Hosuh. Hosuh, go wake--"

"Nah, no need for that, the amount of noise they two made was enough like an alarm clock." Dan interrupted, stretching like he woke up from a nap. None of them seem to be remotely injured.

"Well, I hate you all." Stephen stood up, wincing at the slight movement of his right hand.

"Is it injured?" Dan asked him.

"No, Daniel, it's not injured, I just have a weird tendancy to wince in pain whenever I move," Stephen growled, cradling his arm in his other.

"You're injured!" Hosuh crawled towards Stephen, concern all over his face. 

"Don't touch me," Stephen snapped, getting up and pushing the blade back into the holder, all trace of the previous evil playfulness gone. 

"At least sling it," Hosuh pressed, keeping his distance but still relentless. 

"With what? None of our bags are here." He kept a level gaze. 

"Except that." 

Stephen spun around and he saw Jay, bored look on his face, and a familiar messenger bag hanging from his closed fist. 

"Hey! It's mine!" 

"You think I'm gonna keep such a dirty thing?" Jay tossed the bag over to Stephen across a considerable distance, before he snatched it out of the air with a simple quick rise of his left arm. 

"Thanks, I guess." Stephen slung the messenger bag across his shoulder, looking away. 

"Look, we don't have anything to eat, if we're gonna stay here. But-- Stephen, do you have a phone? We could--" Dan glanced over. 

"No, if I had one, do you think I'll be in normal clothes instead of a uniform?" Stephen cut in, pulling his bag strap in a habit. 

There was uncomfortable silence for a moment. It hung in the air, and Stephen realised how isolated they were in this place, wherever this place was. This forest thing.

"Is there anything edible in this place?" Dan quietly said, eyes averted.

"I'll look for it; you all stay here, I'll be back in an hour," Stephen looked away from the rest, towards their vague surroundings.

"But you're--" Hosuh tried.

"I said, I'll look for food. Alone."

"Yes, but I have to say, you're in no condition to run about by yourself. Why don't I go with you, and the other two can stay here and try to make a fire? It's cold, there's no heat source, and Dan and Jay will be able to figure it out by themselves." Hosuh said, tone a suggestion of stubbornness.

"I--"

"Stephen."

"Fine. Whatever. I don't care." Stephen looked toward the surroundings.

"You’d better follow me closely."

"I will." The expression on Hosuh's face mirrored relief.

\-------------------------

Hosuh walked alongside the purple-haired male, neither of them talking, Stephen looking around possibly for food while he himself looked down, impossibly awkward in this one-on-one situation.

The only thing that filled the air was the crack of leaves and twigs underfoot and the distant cries of unknown animals in the dense canopy of autumn-tinged leaves.

What does one say to one who one doesn't understand at all?

He remembered (vaguely, though it seemed to just happen) Stephen grabbing his hand when he was about to fall into the hole, his purple and red-tinged eyes shining with wild fear and panic.

𝘞𝘩𝘺?

Then he was a whole different person when he woke up Hosuh, the whole kind of adorable maniacal laughter, the chaotic personality. He'd been shocked, not only from the cold blade, but also the way his eyes had shone with unadulterated happiness.

Then it changed when Dan woke up. Then Stephen was distant, serious, independent. Cold.

I don't understand him.

Hosuh could easily see him as a person who would fit in with anyone, with his reaction to Hosuh's rude awakening, and perhaps maybe even friends with this guy. But then he changed like the colour on a chameleon, one that ran around to different landscapes everywhere.

Hosuh looked up.

Stephen pointed at some berries on a tree. "That's probably not poisonous."

"How do you know?"

"Colour, and the leaves look the same as the actual mulberry. I'll have to do more things to determine." Stephen stepped over to the tree. He plucked a berry, then proceeded to tear the berry open. Hosuh walked closer, peering into the berry, seeing blackish-purplish insides.

"It should be edible." Stephen then proceeded to eat the berry.

"Wait! What if it's not?"

"Then you'll see me fall over and die. I'm a tester."

"But--"

"Grab as much as possible. I'll grab some too. My bag's too dirty to contain any."

Hosuh hesitated a while, watching Stephen pluck more, then gave up. He plucked more berries, holding them in his hands. 

𝙷𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚘, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚠𝚘. 𝙸'𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚊𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐.

A mere whisper, but enough to send Hosuh's instincts racing. 

Stephen whipped his head around. He frowned. Hosuh saw his hands clench, berries missing from them. He saw him fingering the knife strapped to his waist. 

"Who're you?" Stephen said, surprisingly softly, and Hosuh watched him carefully take a step from the tree. 

𝙼𝚢, 𝚖𝚢, 𝚂𝚝𝚎𝚙𝚑𝚎𝚗, 𝚗𝚘 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚐𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚟𝚎.

"I'll get aggressive when I want to get aggressive," Stephen spinned around, eyes a bonfire. 

"Stop this, whoever you are. Where are you? How do you know my name?" 

𝙾𝚑, 𝙸 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚎, 𝚂𝚝𝚎𝚙𝚑𝚎𝚗. 𝙼𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝.

"How do you talk to us like that?" 

Silence. 

"S-Stephen, we gotta leave here!" Hosuh tugged on his sleeve, his instincts wailing, spelling danger. 

𝙰𝚑, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙷𝚘𝚜𝚞𝚑. 𝙻𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚛. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚙𝚘𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚊𝚜 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚖𝚎𝚝 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚢𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚍𝚊𝚢.

"Wh-ho are you?" 

Whoosh. 

The leaves stirred around them. 

𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚖𝚎.

The leaves of trees and bushes rustled around them, the evening light casting shadows. 

Shadows. 

Hosuh widened his eyes. 

Then there was a swarm, a swarm of what-is-it? Shadows, impossibly. Shadows from the trees, the bushes. They broke away from the object, flying, forming different shapes. Birds. Shadow birds. 

Hosuh couldn't comprehend it. 

"Run!" A hand on his wrist, a pull, and Hosuh stumbled through leaves behind Stephen, his grip solid on Hosuh's wrist. 

"What is it?" Hosuh shouted, fear dripping into his voice. 

"I don't know any more than you do!" Stephen's voice travelled. 

Hosuh took a frightened look back, and he saw the shadow bird things, flying, one close to him, and he could have sworn it smiled. There was red lights where the eyes should have been. 

Wind blew harder, rustling the leaves to produce sound louder than the shrieking cry of an eagle. 

Hosuh turned back, focusing his eyes on the purple ahead, twigs still snapping and cracking. 

Then a shock of cold. Hosuh shivered, irresistibly looking back. The shadow bird's claws sunk into his flesh, and Hosuh felt numb with cold, no feeling. He tried to shake it off twisting this way and that, and surprisingly the bird let go, shadow beak open in a mad scream. 

Then he collided into Stephen. 

"Stephen! What are you doing? We have to run!" Hosuh hissed, grabbing his wrist. 

"We're surrounded." it was barely a whisper, but nevertheless Hosuh heard it. He frantically looked forward, and all he saw was the varying darkness of a hundred shadows. 

A leaf swirled fast around them, brought along by a fast wind current. 

𝚈𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍. 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚍𝚘?

The voice rang again, the smile obvious in that one sentence. 

𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚍𝚘?

And wind burst. 

Ferocious wind. Wind whistled in Hosuh's ear. He couldn't see anything within ten feet of himself. There was a mask of wind, like a tornado, but one like a shield protecting both of them. Hosuh grasped Stephen's hand tightly, trying to find comfort of sort. There was a weak squeeze back. 

The forest filled with the squawks of a thousand shadow birds, red lights flashing, reeling back, forced back. Hosuh's hair was now untied, his hair tie lost in the wind, his hair waving rapidly in the fierce wind. He couldn't open his eyes anymore, even with a hand to his eyes to shield them from the wind. 

A final squawk, a faint rustling. 

The wind dropped abruptly. Hosuh stumbled, opening his eyes, his hair falling over his face. 

"Stephen?" 

Hosuh turned toward said person, relief a tidal wave. 

"How did—“

Stephen stood, hand out, smiling faintly. 

𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘯?

Then he collapsed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, yes, one of my favourite chapters.


	7. C̷̛̭̔ȁ̷̢n̸̡̅ ̸̧̥̃y̷͇͕͠ȏ̴͉͖ů̷̬̐ ̴͙̐ḩ̷̫̓̓e̴̛̪͍͒ḁ̴̬̍ŗ̶̳̀ ̸̳͐̀m̶̭̮̉̚e̶͖͂?̶̨̭͐

There is darkness. A sort of black, but not complete darkness, a sort of darkness you might see if you closed a door made of translucent material.

There doesn't seem to be anything happening. Not at the moment. 

ʜᴇʟʟᴏ?

ʜᴇʟʟᴏ, ᴄᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴇᴀʀ ᴍᴇ?

There is no one there, no one the voice could be referring to.

|Unless.  
.  
.|

ʏᴇs, ʏᴏᴜ. ᴡʜᴏᴇᴠᴇʀ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ.

You pause, finger on screen, ready to scroll down, ready to read more about this random worthless story you found on an unholy professional platform. Read more about whatever was happening with the danplan crew.

|𝘔𝘦? you think. Silly of yourself. Huh. How would they respond?|

ʜᴇʟᴘ. ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴍᴇ.

|You see that strange message typed on the screen. You frown more, though extremely comfortable in your PJs and nestled in the warmth of your covers. It's a story. There's nothing to worry about.|

And then a flash.

|You scroll on, strangely eager.|

Elias stood in the dark room, head up. He just stood, not moving.

|You remember that this is Dan's brother, the one with cobalt hair falling over his eyes. The supportive brother.|

And he seemed to look straight up, staring at something.

|You realise, in a sudden jolt, that he is looking right at you.|

ɪs ɪᴛ ʏᴏᴜ? ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ's sᴜᴘᴘᴏsᴇᴅʟʏ 'ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ' ᴛʜɪs? ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ, ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴜs. ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴜs...?

|He's... talking to me? How is this possible?|

ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ. ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴᴀʟʟʏ, ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴀɴɴᴀ fɪɴᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ. ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴍᴇ.

𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘰𝘸? 𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥.

Elias tilted his head suddenly. 

ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ. ɪ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ᴛᴀʟᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ɴᴏᴡ ᴅᴜᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴᴀʟ ʀᴇᴀsᴏɴs, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʀᴇᴀsᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴏɴᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴀɴ ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴍʏ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ʜɪs fʀɪᴇɴᴅs.

|You are still in disbelief. How does this happen? It's hard to believe a character's talking to you when it's a rainy day and you're still in your covers.|

𝘐...𝘞𝘩𝘢?

ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ. ɪᴛ's ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴡᴀʏ. ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ᴛʜɪs.

𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰...𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶? 𝘏𝘰𝘸? 𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥—

ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ɢɪᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜᴇ sɪɢɴᴀʟ (ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ɪᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴅᴏ ɢɪᴠᴇ ɪᴛ), ʙʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ɪ ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ. ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ fᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ sᴏᴍᴇʜᴏᴡ ᴄᴀɴ.

𝘐...

Elias' face looked deathly and desperate in the dark. He looked up, eyes wide, face serious. 

ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴜst. ɪs ɴᴏᴛ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴅɪᴇ-- ᴀɴᴅ ɪ'ᴍ sᴀʏɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs Qᴜɪᴄᴋ. ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ. ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴍᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛ ᴛʜᴇᴍ fʀᴏᴍ ᴀɴʏ ᴍᴏʀᴛᴀʟ ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀ. ʙʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪs ᴀ sɪɢɴᴀʟ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪs ɴᴏ ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀ.

ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ.

|Your heart beats faster. You sit straighter in your bed. Things just started to get interesting.|

Would you help him?

[Heck yes] 

[N̴̢̧̧̡̙̗̮̯͕̲̺̼͍̯͓͊͆͗͑̆͊͗̇̈̏̃́̀̚̕͜ö̴̢̤͙͔͍̥̥̤̤̳̘̼̙̬́͐̾̔ͅ.̵͓͈̭̋͛̉̓̂̏͂̈́̉͌̈́́͆͆̐̈́̾͝͝͝ͅ ̶̧̨̨̥͔̺͉̖̮̟̳̬̖͈̥̼͚̙̠̲̳̙͚̠̮̞͒̈́͋̑̄̈̏̀̆̋̚͘͝͝]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ṿ̶̿̃͑͗̐͝o̴̬̫̗̮͖̱͚̅͝t̶̡̨̼̫̬̬̯͔̱̰̗̳̦͂͒̐̃̔̚͠e̵̡̡̹̩̥͎̞̳̗̠̦̦̎͆̿́̈́̈͑́̓̊̓̚̕͠ ̶̗͖̮̞̺̯̄͐̍̍̃ͅį̵͓̩͚͎̲͔́̀́͊͘n̷̡̨̘̹̯͉͔͙͍̮̼̤̹̎̽͆̂̽͑̀̈́̿̉̚̕ ̶̡̨̟͈̰̜͔̘̭̲̘͍̊̒͜c̶̰̖̠̒̓͒̈́o̴̞̩̫̩̐́́̉̅̃́̀̂͂̏̀͆͆̚m̸̭̠̹̝͔̩̻͕̲͛̐͌̾̌̓̀͜͜m̵̧͕̕e̵̜̭͇̪̩̲͇̝̦̍̀͗̉̆̏͝͝n̸̨̢͕͚͎̘̯͓͓͈͉̮͔̓̒̍̈́̊͜͜͝ţ̸̨̡̧̛͕̭̘̬͔͕͉̥̪̰̜̾̈̒͐̈̌̄̈̀̎̂͘͝s̵̢̱̬̠̭̟͎͇̱̻̭̉̇̈̈̓ͅ 
> 
> тнαηк уσυ.


	8. Huh. |7|

Dan set down the last stick on the pile. 

"Is it enough?" Jay said, studying the pile of sticks they found to be mostly dry. He rested his hands on either side of his hips. 

"I hope so. It's not like we have any matches or anything to start the fire." Dan said resignedly, staring at the small pile. 

"Glasses? Maybe that'll work?" Jay squatted behind the stickpile, head tilted down slightly as though staring intently for it to burst into flames. 

Dan looked toward the golden glow he presumed to be the sun and the accompanying darkness that followed. "Not enough sunlight. It's gonna be dark soon."

"Lighter? We don't have one... But maybe Stephen has one in his bag, I don't know."

Jay plonked himself on the ground, soil and leaves and all.

Then silence. Neither of them could think of anything to say.

"You know, this whole situation? It's bizarre. I don't know how it happened, and I feel... weird here." Dan took a leaf from the ground, playing around with it idly, a thoughtful sheen covering his face.

"How so?" Jay intoned, staring into the stick pile. At least he seemed to.

"Well..." Dan crushed the leaf, the bits falling back into the cold earth. "I--I feel as though I can't explain it, it's really weird, and I've been feeling like this since we got here, wherever here is." He sighed. "I don't know."

"Ah, the unknown. Personally my favourite thing except arson. It's so great that it's almost certain that I die in it. The best place and state to be in."

"Please don't get all phycological with me. I have enough of a headache as it is." He closed his eyes, his temple throbbing slightly in the light of the weirdness that happened. 

Jay fell silent beside him.

Dan stared at the sticks. At least they're dead. The sticks. They don't know what happened to them.

He thought of his family. His family, back home, his parents and his brother and everything that made at least some sense, not here where sense got yeeted out of the window. He already missed his family.

How were they?

The setting sun cast its final golden rays, filtered through the trunks of trees and bushes.

"You alright?" Jay said, moving his head towards Dan.

"Yeah, fine. Mostly." he averted his eyes.

"Yeah, I miss my mother too, but we gotta have hope and think of happy and positive thoughts! Like I could die here! And there's no student loans here. That's a massive pro of being stuck at this place."

Dan stared incredulously at Jay. "You know, that first one isn't a good point."

"For me, it is." Jay said, taking a stick and tossing it, grabbing it back swiftly with the same hand. 

"So, how was life like back home?" the rhythmic thump of the stick, Jay's hand moving up and down at a simple pace. 

𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘥.

"It was... OK. Peaceful. My parents're great. And Elias, my brother. I tell him everything." Dan said. 

"I had only my mother. It's fine. It's not like I want any bastard of a father anyway. Better none then that." Jay said, his cheek cupped in his hand. 

"I'm..." 

"Yeah, so your brother Elias, isn't it-- you miss him a lot?" The speech was forced. 

"It's clear we might be stuck here for a long time. And yeah, I do. He's my emotional support barrier." Dan didn't push the previous subject. 

"Yeah. I have friends. Not as many as you, but some. They're great, too." Jay said softly.

Another moment of silence, but more content and comfortable.

"Mmmm." Jay tossed the stick back onto the pile, multiple creaks of various sticks sounding.

"Where are they? They've been gone for a while." Dan looked up at Jay.

The whistle of wind.

Jay stayed silent, a shadow crossing his face, then gone.

"They have been."

Howls of wind in the dark.

Jay leapt to his feet.

The tie on Dan's collar rose and fell with the movement of wind. His hair fell into his eyes. The sticks rattled on the ground. On the ground, dry leaves rustled, flying. Leaves fell from above, shaken loose from the trees cast in darkness.

"What?"

A single word, a nervous tang.

Jay looked towards Dan.

"Ah, shit." Jay deadpanned.

A darker darkness.

"Where are they?"

Wind whistling through gaps.

Dan gazed out, urgency raking his being.

"This isn't natural."

The wind was strong, really strong, and Dan nearly fell where he stood.

"Down."

Daniel shielded his eyes with a hand, stumbling a little against the wind before he dropped to the ground.

The leaves were frantic, flying in waves around them. Their uniforms flapped vigorously.

The sticks scattered.

Dan couldn't hear anything except the whistling in his ears.

"Jay?" Dan yelled, eyes closed, unable to see.

There's no way Jay could have heard that in this wind.

Dan's fingers tingled and itched.

Then silence.

Leaves fluttered to the ground, back to their inanimate selves.

The darkness lightened a bit.

Dan dropped slightly to the ground.

"Whoa. That was a whole whirlwind of excitement." Dan said, partly to himself. The wind still whistled in his ears, a faint echo. 

"No, please. Not puns." Jay said from a distance off.

He crawled upright, head spinning a little.

"What is this place?"

"Don't know, but I hope they're alright." Jay frowned a bit more than usual.

Jay flopped to the ground, sending flurries of leaves up. "But since I'm on the ground already, I'm gonna stay here."

"Jay--"

"Come lie down with me."

"Jay, sometimes I worry for your sanity."

Dan crawled over to Jay and lay right next to his fallen body. Seeing Jay's peaceful face beside his, it filled him with 𝙙𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.

The cushion of leaves and the darkness and the silent company of Jay.

"Huh. I guess this is pretty nice." Dan talked, hands behind his head. 

"Mmmmm."

"Really eloquent, Jay."

They lay there, in a sort of blissful state.

Through the canopy of the tree leaves, they saw the night sky and the blinking lights of stars. The moon seemed not to be present, but maybe it was just hidden somewhere. 

"Should we try and make sure they're fine?" Dan spoke to the air after some time lying down and doing nothing. 

Jay stayed motionless. "Maybe."

"Perhaps we should." Dan crawled up, dusting himself off.

Dan surveyed his surroundings. The adnormal wind had blown leaves left and right. There were areas where it was completely devoid of fallen leaves.

Dan's observant eyes flickered through the darkened shades of gold and brown.

A track. Dull, no leaves on it, a clear path. 

A trail. It led outwards, where Stephen and Hosuh had disappeared to.

The wind had torn through there, leaving a dirt track. 

A clear one. One you could follow if you wanted to. One seemingly to lead somebody somewhere, to some people.

"Look." Jay said, and Dan realised that he had spotted it too, having gotten up without a sound.

"Do we...?" Dan looked back to Jay. Jay's eyes were still closed, but he could feel the decisiveness radiating off him.

"Let's go." Jay said, and he took off, not running, yet a mini rocket.

Dan took a strong stick along with him before he ran after Jay.

𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦.

\-------------------------

Hosuh shook Stephen's shoulders.

"Stephen! Stephen, wake up! We don't know what's in here! Even if the shadow things were chased away!" Hosuh whispered urgently, gazing quickly around.

Stephen remained slumped, eyes closed in a state of unconsciousness.

"Stephen! You gotta wake up!"

No response.

"Somebody help! Please! I don't know what's happened to him!" Hosuh said, urgency blossoming in his voice and his heart.

Hosuh checked Stephen again. His eyes were still shut in peaceful imitation, his face a blank mask.

"Please! Somebody, come help me!" Hosuh shouted desperately.

He stared at his body, inwardly panicking.

Dehydration again? Somehow he didn't think so. The wind had came from nowhere, a time when they needed the most help.

Was it—

Hosuh regretted the fact that he had never read any fantasy books. And the fact that he never learnt or wanted to learn anything relating to medical knowledge.

"Please, please wake up!" Hosuh rubbed Stephen's arm.

𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬.

A twig snapped behind Hosuh a distance away.

He swivelled around quickly, hands out to ready against any attack (with what weapon?), eyes widened in alert.

Someone stood there.

The silhouette in the dark resembled a human being. But there were also shapes behind it, two similar shapes.

"Who're you?" Hosuh said defiantly, glaring at the shadowy figure.

The figure stepped closer, and in the dim light, Hosuh's eyes finally adjusted.

It was a man, about twenty years old, with raven black messy hair and black glasses. But Hosuh didn't really pay attention to that.

There were horns on his head, small ones that curved upward, and a thin tail that curled around the man's (if he could even call that that) leg.

He was also wearing a bright red hoodie, dulled in the minimal lighting, but seeable from the glowing tip of the tail.

It read 'common sense'.

𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦.

A pair of black wings extended from the back of the stranger, a weird aura around the stranger. 

"What are you?" The sentence slipped from his lips, something definitely not recommended. Hosuh pulled Stephen closer, incapable of fighting but willing to.

"Me?" the voice, a little deep, said, a tinge of laughter on its edge.

"I'm a demon. Half, actually."

The stranger stepped closer.

"Don't come any closer." Hosuh stood up, clenching his fists.

The half-demon actually stopped.

"I'm not here to hurt you," he said.

"Don't you need help?"

"You're gonna fight us, aren't you?"

"If you want to."

That wasn't an answer he thought he would hear.

"I--" Hosuh faltered.

"Look, you're in our territory, but we didn't attack you as soon as you stepped into our boundaries. And your friend seems to be unconscious.

"I ask again: 𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱?"

The person asked, a wan smile on his face.

"What--what sort of help?"

He broke into a full smile.

"Now you're getting it. Follow me. I'll get to the others." the man said, moving forward more.

"Where are you taking us?" Hosuh still didn't trust the guy, but his instincts pushed him.

"Somewhere more safe. And medical help for your friend, too." The brunette swept Stephen's unconscious form up, carrying him effortlessly.

Hosuh bit the inside of his cheek.

Something in him told him to trust the demon.

"Okay. Lead the way."

\-------------------------

"No one really comes to these parts." the man/demon said, walking together with Hosuh."You two are the first in two years." 

"Oh, yes, I've been wondering, where are we?"

"This area's the Scavengers Land. That's us."

"No, like the whole place. What country is this?"

"Country? What's that?" the man/demon seemed confused for a second.

"Y'know, Canada, America, Australia? Countries?"

The man/demon stared at him.

"This is no country, whatever that is."

"Place? What place is this?" Hosuh couldn't wrap his head around this man/demon, choosing to stare at the wings situated and closed behind the man-demon.

"The Forest. Yeah, those are my wings."

He blushed, and he averted his eyes from the said black objects, a considerable amount of tearing his eyes away from them.

"It's okay, you can stare all you want. Where do you come from? It's really common in these parts, you know. Kind of."

"What is it made off?" Hosuh said in wonder.

"Uhhh, its skin, like leather.

"By the way, the name's Adam. Adam Ortiz. The others call me Something Else. There's actually a YT at the back, but it's okay." 

"YT? What does that stand for?" 

"Anything you want." 

"Yellow turtles?" 

Hosuh giggled. 

"Yeah, anything you want." 

"What's yours?" 

He hestiated. 

"It's Hosuh Lee. That's Stephen. I don't know his last name." 

Adam glanced towards him. 

"You don't know his last name? Aren't you friends?" 

He sighed. "I only knew him from yesterday. And it's not like he opens up anytime." 

"Mmmm." Adam fell silent for a while. 

He looked down at the figure in Adam's arms. Purple hair flopped over one closed eye, and his chest rose and fell with every breath. His plain shirt was slightly torn. 

What did he know of any of them, actually? He just met them yesterday. 

But he trusted each and all of them. Stephen, Dan, Jay. 

Maybe because he's an extreme introvert, but he would protect the others if he could. 

"We're here." Adam said, breaking the silence, and he looked up.

There was a medium-sized tent-looking thing sized for two people, a light shining through the fabric. And a person was standing at the entrance of the tent.

"Hey, Tabbes. Lend a hand?" Adam said casually.

It was a woman yielding a baseball bat. She rested it on her shoulder, long strands of black hair falling over her face.

"What'cha got there?" she faced Adam.

"Humans in need of help."

Tabbes didn't say anything to that, nor did she move forward to help carry Stephen.

"Hi...?" Hosuh tried.

She didn't say anything, but moved out of the way, eyeing him the whole time. 

Adam strode confidently through the tent opening. Throwing an awkward glance Tabbes' way, Hosuh followed him through the tent opening.

"Don't mind her, that's just her character. Suspicious of everyone." Adam whispered to him. He nodded slowly.

Hosuh blinked.

The tent seemed to be bigger on the inside than the outside, four beds near the corner along with a small kitchen and a sofa with a table.

"That's Dom. He's the ring leader-- sort of." A man with short blackish hair waved at him. "And that's--"

"James. Or theodd1sout. Pleased to meet you." a ginger-haired male, similarly-aged as the others, smiled at Hosuh.

"We use nicknames around here, but everyone calls me James." the man said.

"Jameson's the leader of this small group." Adam signaled with a flourish at the tent and the four of them.

"Don't call me that, Adam. I told you." James laughed.

"And he's also the only one who uses our real names." Adam said to Hosuh.

"Pleasure." Hosuh uncertaintly shook James' outstretched hand.

"Hosuh, and that's Stephen." he awkwardly gestured wildly at himself and the unconscious figure slumped in Adam's arms.

"I'll take care of him," Dom said, lifting Stephen from Adam's hands and proceeding to walk to the beds in the corner.

"And now we can talk." James pulled Hosuh from following Dom, settling himself on the sofa.

"Where am I?" 

"The Scavengers' part of the Forest." James smiled. "We've established that already.

"Tell me. Why are you here? People rarely chance upon this place."

Hosuh shifted awkwardly.

"We got... whisked here."

"How?"

"I..." he wasn't sure if he wanted to tell anything to this stranger he just met, even if he seemed more human than Adam was.

"I understand if you don't want to tell me. But one important thing you must tell me: Were you chased? Or did something else 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 you here?"

That's oddly specific.

"Yeah. We were chased. By..." he hesitated again. "By shadow things."

James's face changed in a flash, a surprised one.

"Shadow?"

"Yeah."

"Shit!" James turned towards Adam.

Adam's face shifted to a determined look.

"We'll have to change our location soon."

"Yeah. Or X'll find us and get us."

"'X'?" Hosuh tried to interject. "Who--why?"

"X has been hunting us. We help the enemies of his, and he wants us dead. But it was recent, wasn't it? The shadows. Minions of his. Doesn't make sense. Shadows aren't tangible. Why would they affect us?" James growled.

Adam smiled sadly. "They do all right." And Hosuh saw the whiteness of Adam's arm, as though a shadow had enveloped itself on his arm, leaving behind a kind of scar. "It's so cold, I can't describe it."

"This place is magically hidden from X at the moment, but he will eventually find us." James gritted his teeth. 

Dom strode over. "Your friend's going to be fine. It seems that he collapsed of exertion." Dom's eyes found Hosuh's. "Magical exertion."

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵?

"Magical?" Tabbes walked back into the tent. She glared at Hosuh.

"Hosuh, what does he mean?" James asked him.

"I--I don't really know. Strange stuff have been happening to the four of us since yesterday, and we can't understand it."

"Don't worry. We'll help you. But you said four?"

Dan. Jay.

"No! I don't know where they are! They're in a part of this forest, but I don't know--"

"Shhhh, Hosuh. We'll search for them, me and Tabbes. And we'll bring them here." Adam reassured him. It did work a little, but Hosuh still fretted. 

"Won't this X find them first?"

"Don't worry. We'll do that first. We know the forest like our home. Because it is our home." Adam grinned.

"Please, is Stephen fine?"

"He'll wake up in a few minutes." Dom told him, then turned to the others.

"It's not the one who betrayed us, is it?" a tiny whisper, too small to be heard.

"I don't think so. I made sure he could never do that again." James.

Hosuh strained his ears.

"I hope so." Adam.

"Or I'll really knock the shit outta him." Tabbes.

"Hosuh, go check on Stephen." James called distractedly, and he had no choice but to obey.

Sliding towards the beds, he controlled his spiralling thoughts.

Who was 'he'?

What kind of story was this if Jay's weird perception was true? 

"Stephen? You awake?" Hosuh leaned over. 

Stephen rubbed his head. "Why does my head feel like I hit it purposely on the wall?" 

"You fainted. Again." Hosuh told him. 

"Pffffftt. Where are we?" 

"At a house of four people. Apparently they're called the Scavengers." 

"Fancy name." 

"Yeah, I guess." Hosuh looked towards the four discussing something. 

"They saved you. Kinda." 

"I don't trust them." 

"You don't trust 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦." 

"I'm basically incapable to. Not anymore." 

Hosuh couldn't speak. He spoke gently to him.

"What... what happened?"

"Nothing of your concern." Stephen said icily.

Hosuh sensed that he had struck a nerve.

"Forget I asked."

Stephen slid from the bed.

"Okay, who are all of you?"

"Oh, you're awake. I'll tell you everything you want to know." James held an upturned palm to Stephen. 

"I won't hesitate to-- what?"

"I'll tell you everything."

Stephen seemed surprised.

"Okay, then."

"Here." James gestured for Stephen to come over.

Hosuh watched Adam and Tabbes leave the tent.

James and Stephen talked quietly for a while, and at one point James placed a brotherly hand on his back, still speaking. It was a while later that Stephen walked away from James, James smiling crookedly at his back.

"What did you talk about?" Hosuh asked curiously.

"None of your concern," Stephen repeated, but this time with a tiny smile.

"OK then..." Hosuh recognised that this was a moment only to be shared between the two.

And he allowed himself a smile at the obvious relaxed state Stephen was in, at the melting of his hard exterior. Whenever the exterior would harden up again, Hosuh hoped it was not too soon.

\-------------------------

The trail led to a clearing.

"Where are they?" Dan fretted fervently, biting his lower lip.

"It ends here." Jay scanned the area with his closed eyes (how? At this point Dan didn't care and accepted it).

They didn't see a single silhouette.

"There must be something here..." Jay walked the ledge of the clearing, feeling out at the air.

The stick in Dan's hand trembled.

And lept forward.

"Wha--" Daniel followed the stick towards the centre.

"Jay, come here."

The stick waggled in the air.

Dan's fingertips itched.

𝘙𝘪𝘱.

He stumbled, falling a little, but catching himself. He grabbed the now-motionless stick from the ground.

"The hell?" Jay's voice travelled.

Daniel looked up.

There was a tent. A simple tent.

They looked at each other, a simple decision made.

Then a ginger-haired male stood in front of them, eyes blazing, hand reaching towards the sword handle poking out from behind his back.

"X's workers. I thought you would come."

"Who the heck are you?" Dan frowned at him.

He drew his sword.

"If you work for him, you deserve to die."

And the guy charged at him with the sword, sharp and glinting in the minimal light of the tent.

"What!!" It wasn't a question, and all Dan could do in that moment, in Jay's scream of 'watch out' and the determined face of the guy, was to bring up the stick.

𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘩.

The sword struck the stick, but it wouldn't slice through it easily like it should. The sword blade rested on the stick, not making even a scratch on the branch.

The guys eyes widened in surprise.

"Stop! That's my friends!"

A familiar voice rang.

Hosuh.

"Hosuh!" Dan said it out loud then, delight ringing high.

"Oh, thank goodness you and Jay are alright!" Hosuh ran forward, smiling hard.

"My apologies. I thought you worked for the enemy. Let's restart this, shall we? I'm James, or theodd1sout. Sorry about that." He sheathed his sword, holding out a hand.

Daniel stared incredulously at him.

"Ha. You should have seen your face." James dropped his hand.

"I'm Jay and that's Daniel. I'm pleased to always meet another person who's stab-friendly." Jay said smoothly.

"What the fuck happened?" Harsh language. Stephen walked out, his face a bored mask.

"You guys are alright!" Dan said happily.

"Well, of course, we're not you, someone who gets stabbed on sight." Stephen sassed.

"Shut up, Stephen."

"All of you, shhh."

"What is it, Odd?" Stephen said.

"Listen."

Whoosh.

The quietest of the sound of wind.

Like a shadow.

And that was when the shadows attacked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha.  
> Y’all are so supportive, so as thanks here’s a long chapter! :D


	9. What the Fuck are Elementals? |8|

Shadows flew in in the form of birds of prey. Shrieks and calls from the beaks of these abnormalities. Red eyes flashed wildly at them, as though wishing great harm to come to them. 

"Stay back!" James yelled, pulling out the sword yet again, brandishing it. "I don't think it'll affect them much, but I'll try my best!"

Dom ran out, face a frightened mask, in the dark both terrified and furrowed with the determination of a thousand people. 

"Stay back!" James repeated, gritting his teeth, holding out his other hand to herd them backwards. "Don't move until I say so!" 

With that, James swung the sword, glowing in the light of the stars, fiery determination apparent in the force of it. The glowing blade connected with some of the shadow birds. 

Shrieking calls, and flashes of red, and the said birds disintegrated into dark specks. 

Nearby Jay, Dom was there, a similar sword but evidently thinner, swiping with full force. The shadows right in front of them were retreating, but two other ones behind one shadow immediately replaced it, and even with the stamina of James and Dom, the shadows were surging, trying to engulf them.

As though trying to reach the four of them.

The four of them stood helpless, panicked and caught in the moment. 

"When I say go, you four will run," James hissed, head turned slightly their way. "Run out away from there. Okay?" when they didn't respond, James yelled. "OKAY?"

"Yes, James!" Hosuh said.

"Good!"

Another massive swing, ten shadows fleeing.

Jay heard a sharp ting of a knife from its holder, and Stephen was standing with a knife, face a darkened mask as he charged and sliced.

Two shadows shrieked.

"No, Stephen!" James screamed, and Jay ran forward to try to pull back Stephen.

"Don't." Stephen levelly stared at Jay.

"Stephen--" James turned towards him. "I-- don't!"

A shadow approached him at high speed, red eye glinting malevolently.

"Watch--!" Dan yelled.

And James was knocked to the ground, pushed away just in time as the shadow soared past James.

Stephen lay on top of him, panting and heaving at the movement.

"I--"

"James, help!" Dom's cry of help.

He pushed Stephen off roughly, urgently, speaking words Jay could not hear to him. 

A woosh beside his ear, and Jay saw a brownish thing fly at top speed with a whistle past him by inches. A thud and a few screeches. Dan's magical indestructible stick knocked nearly five shadows back as they swooped away, cawing. 

"GetoutgetoutgetOUT!" James yelled out, sword flashing slightly. 

Dan pulled on Jay's sleeve, a notion to signal him to run. 

Jay stumbled back from the force of it, his eyes momentarily flashing open in their heterochromia state. 

"Stephen!" Hosuh said urgently, pulling at said boy, trying to drag him away. 

Another silent secret exchange between James and Stephen, and he watched as James quickly brought his sword to touch the knife the other wielded. The weapons glowed brightly for a moment. All the shadows consequently flinched backwards. 

The glow was too bright for Jay's eyes and they involuntarily shut back again to their original state. When the glow faded, shadows begin to surge once more towards them, cawing angrily. 

"GO!" James pushed Stephen away, and Jay saw Hosuh pulling him towards them as Dan pulled him in the same way. Away from the scene. 

James glanced back, a last gesture. Their eyes connected (idk how don't ask me) with an electrifying intensity in the moment. James stared at Jay with the power of his determination. 

Jay understood. 

With a tiny nod, James broke off the eye contact and lept off, running towards where he saw Dom last. 

Though it looked like the gaze was his last action, it wasn't. 

He watched James lift a whistle from who-knows-where, and blow it hard. There was no sound. 

What? 

"Come on, Jay!" Dan called, hissing in his haste. 

He stumbled a little while running, being a couch potato or a indoors person in general clearly not helping much. 

He cursed his fixature to comfy armchairs and cosy rooms. 

Dan clearly ran faster than he did, practically dragging him along. 

Leaves and branches smacked and crawled at his exposed skin as they whipped by, made more difficult in the limited light of the night. Hell, he didn't even know how they were proceeding in this sort of lighting. 

They had to stop after nearly a full five minutes (or was it an hour? Who knows how time worked here. Or if it even existed here) of consecutive running, panting and heaving. He nearly collapsed on the leafy floor like previously, but had the common sense as of now not to in this dangerous state. 

"Where are we?" Stephen's voice travelled forward to his ear. 

"None of us know. We don't even know what kind of place this is!" Dan almost lost his cool, the mask gone. 

𝘞𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘩.

Jay's ears picked up the almost inaudible sound. 

"We gotta leave. Now. Whether you like it or not." 

A red blinking eye. 

Simultaneously they fled, a whir of feet and the frantic movement of their arms, more than aware of their exposed skin and vulnerability as cold wind rushed past them. 

Jay risked a look back, a bad choice. It was just a black mass behind them, red lights flashing, a caw or two heard way too clearly. 

He looked back to the front, trying to pick up more pace, but failing, leaves kicked up and flying. 

He now felt cold, true cold, that you visualised as ice blue. The colour of snowflakes. The feeling tugged at his back and arms, freezing them, numbing them.

They weren't going to be able to outrun them.

"Hey!" an unfamiliar shout. He looked up.

A demon of sorts. He had horns, real horns, and really big fucking wings, casting a shadow on all of us. But he also looked human. And desperate.

"Adam!" Hosuh screamed.

He knew him?!

The demon swooped down, obviously frantic, a crease between his eyebrows.

"Get on. When I say 'up', all of you jump on my back. Got it?"

"What!!" Not a question. It burst from Stephen.

"One..."

The shadows numbed his lower back.

"Two..."

His fingers were cold.

"Threeup!"

Everyone hopped.

Jay's feet left the ground.

'Adam' had grabbed him and Stephen, and on his back sat a frightened Daniel and a relieved Hosuh, both clinging as tightly as they could on his red hoodie.

They were flying.

Jay watched the forest top from his altitude, a mass of dull red and gold in the dark of the night. It was amazing, a weightless feeling, and an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia.

Nostalgia?

"Put me down!" Stephen spoke up to the demon, gripping the demon's hand in absolute fear.

"I will when I put you in the desired location."

"Which is where??"

"The Waterfall, in the Forest. Jaiden can help you."

"Who??"

"She's a water elemental, and a good friend of ours. Talks to us occasionally. Especially me and Jameson."

The talk was rushed, urgent. Jay deduced his panic and worry for the rest of his team.

"James called me with the whistle. Only demons-- or half in my case, can hear it."

"What whistle?" Hosuh chimed in.

"James blew it just now. Did you not see it?" Jay said, looking over to the three. They looked back blankly.

"Okay, nevermind." Jay turned back to admire the view.

"Also, what's a 'water elemental'?" Dan made quotation marks with a hand, the other tightly fastened on the fabric of the hoodie.

"You'll know. You'll know whatever you want to know." Adam glanced back towards the general direction of the camp.

"Well, that was cryptic." Stephen crossed his arms quickly before resuming his hold on Adam's hand.

"We're here." Adam said unexpectedly, lowering his altitude fast and suddenly.

"W H A T!" Stephen said again, clutching Adam's hand even harder.

Adam landed with a hard bump, Dan and Hosuh sliding off his back quickly, Hosuh nearly falling over in the process. Stephen brushed himself off, scoffing a little.

"I--I gotta go, James and the others need me!" Adam stated, biting his lip.

"You haven't--"

"I said, Jaiden'll tell you everything! Good luck!" Adam practically yelled, posing his great wings for flight. "Oh gosh, Tabbes-- I hope she's okay--"

He pushed off, and pumped his wings once. Then he was gone, going back to try and help the rest of them.

The sound of rushing water was nearby.

"Hell-hello?" Hosuh uncertainly said to the waterfall nearby. They slowly approached the waterfall pool, intrigued.

Jay squatted down, and he touched the surface of the water, sending ripples spilling across the top. It satisfied him in a way, the orderly pattern of ripple to ripple calming. 

It had always been fun as a child, so why not as an almost-adult?

/You don't belong here. You don't come from here, do you? I've never seen you before./

"I hate these sort of voices!" Stephen yelled out, annoyance in his voice. "Why is this the second fucking time for this to happen in the span of fucking three hours?!"

/My, you've got some harsh language, child./

"I am 𝘯𝘰𝘵 a child!"

/Tsk, okay. I sense elemental aruas around not one, but all of you. Different, too. All different. Very interesting./

/But, look at you four. You're clearly humans. Not an elemental figure. How is that possible?/

The rush of water filled the silence.

/What unique individuals you are./

And a woman emerged from the water. She was not a solid object, but rather a part of the water, water compressed and moulded to form a woman's shape. She had shoulder-length hair(if you could call that that), and her lower body was one with the water.

"I'm Jaiden, a water elemental. And I'm here to explain everything."

\-------------------------

The four elements. Air, water, earth, fire. They depend on each other to exist. And there are controllers, elementals, of each element. However, they can only control a small part of it. Just like how each element, when put together, will affect them in a way, like fire heating up water for it to evaporate and the fire getting put out in the process, elementals usually dislike other elementals and will not live near another different-element elemental. 

"You all seem to be elementals of a sort. And pretty strong ones too. Stronger than any normal elemental. From an experienced water elemental." Jaiden talked up to them.

"How? We--"

"I've explained to you what an elemental is. They are the form of their element, and they control their element. I have a pack, but..."

Jaiden sighed.

"Every elemental family (or pack) has to have a sort of 'lookout', and I am it. We spend most out time away from the others, and probably are the most easily accessible. Of course, so as other elemental families. Other elements." Jaiden's voice at its end spelt disdain.

"It's common that elements are... not that fond of each other. So we stay apart. And it gets kinda lonely here without anyone. So I talk to the Scavengers. They're nice." Jaiden played with the water, a drop skipping the water surface around her like a skipping stone.

Jay was mesmerised by the water droplet.

"So, is James and Adam and Dom and Tabbes okay? I hope they are," Jaiden seemed worried for a second.

"I don't know." Hosuh said slowly. "But we hope so too."

Hosuh seemed really eager to please Jaiden.

"And it's rare like different elementals can...befriend each other, you know?"

"I don't get what you mean." Stephen crossed his arms.

"Look, remember that wind you conjured?"

"He did it??" Dan cut in, surprise littering his face.

"Yeah, that's why he collapsed, didn't he?"

"I though it was another dehydration thing." Dan dodged the accusing look from Stephen sharp as knives, looking towards the other two. "Did anything strange happen to you though?"

"Yeah, that water incident." Hosuh patted his side, hand coming off wet.

"Water? You must be one like me."

Jaiden smiled prettily up at Hosuh. Hosuh blushed clearly, looking away and brushing strands of hair off his face.

"T--thanks...?"

"Silly, for what?" Jaiden laughed, sounding like the rush of water on rocks.

Phhssst. Hosuh admires someone.

"Ah, Hosuh, you better regulate your heartbeat," Jay said offhandedly, checking his fingernails. Hosuh's face actually turned even brighter in red, and he turned away, hands covering his face.

"What did you mean, us being powerful?" Dan took the moment up.

"Oh, you all have a really big arua of elemental magic on you, you know? Most elementals only control a small aspect of the element, not everything. But your amount of power covered almost everything. And that is really very big." Jaiden told him.

"What can we do?" Dan's voice was nearly lost in the sound of water.

"Things you will discover. I mean, I did it on my own. Like how I am right now, not knowing what the heck is going on with the outside world! And about the shadows..." 

Jay nearly physically perked up. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴.

"What about them?" 

"Well, the 'shadows' have been taking over everything in this whole world. The water tells me. It literally looms over everything. I myself had to hide under the water when they came around once or twice. Though I'm told elemental magic can keep them away. I'm personally not strong enough.

"I'm worried for the other water elementals. Are they alright? No signal from the water that flows here." Jaiden fretted.

"Well, the others were definitely attacked by shadows." Jay heard Stephen say.

"What!" Jaiden turned quickly, an expression of alarm visible.

"What? Why do you think that Adam deposited us here without probably saying hi to you, if you're supposedly friends?" Stephen said.

"Where are they?" Jaiden said. "I want to help them so badly, but I can't leave water!"

"You can help us by telling us more," Stephen said smoothly.

"Who's 'X'?" Dan leaned forward.

"X? God, haven't heard about Xzander for so long." Jaiden seemed sad. "He's a water elemental. Or used to, whatever monster he is now. He wants to be in control--full control of the four elements. And I think that he's in control of the shadows.

"He wants full power. Not just water control, but all of them. He was a great kind of older brother. Now, I'm not so sure.

"He's literally taken over the world with those shadows. And I'm so out of contact with the rest of the world it's ridiculous.

"I warn you four, Xzander is dangerous. Don't cross him, although I think he would want to cross you. Remember what I said, him wanting power. He tries, and he would eventually succeed. Until you came. I think you can stop him. It would mean disaster, the elements no longer four united entities, and the elements will slowly fall.

"You have to stop him, whether you like it or not."

"We don't have to do anything." the narcissistic voice replied.

"Please, how do we help?" The earnest voice of Hosuh.

"Find the elemental families, and I think they will be able to help. For each of you." Jaiden conjured a droplet, one that quivered in the air. "I'm not clear what you have to do, and I don't know where the others are situated, but I can lead you to the village near here, where I think they can truly tell you where the elemental families are." 

She released the droplet, which zoomed towards them. Jay touched it as it passed, earning an angry look from a water droplet. He smiled at it innocently. 

"Follow it to find the village. I think they can help you."

They turned away from Jaiden, who stared at them intensely, something Jay thought he himself would do.

"Jaiden?" Dan looked back.

"Yes?"

"Er, do you know how to get back to our world?"

Jaiden was silent.

"I'm sorry, I don't. My only advice is perhaps if another portal-type appears, it's your way out."

Dan smiled at Jaiden.

"Thank you."

"Issallright." she beamed back.

The droplet bobbed up and down.

And they set off in the droplet's wake. 

Though what would happen to them? He didn't know exactly, but something was ominous as shadows in the light of what were to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jaiden slides in: hi  
> Stephen: what the fuck are you   
> Jay: nice water droplet   
> Hosuh: ???!!!  
> Dan: imma chill


	10. Well Then |9|

There wasn't much to talk or say about the whole messed up situation they were in. All of them just kept their eyes on the dancing water droplet prancing in front of them and continued walking, not breaking their stride.

"Er... Do you guys think that there 𝘪𝘴 a village?" Dan turned to the others after a considerable amount of walking and stepping on countless branches and leaves.

"Why would that Jaiden lie anyway? There's nothing to gain or anything." Hosuh pushed some branches away from his face and ducked under them, the droplet still in sight.

"I guess so." the other still seemed a bit unconvinced.

They walked along, not stopping, moving at a steady pace that was easy to keep up with.

It was quite long until they reached an opening. By the time they all were tired, a result of several exhausting and energy-reducing events that led up to their situation there. 

Also, it was, or should be, by the watch on Dan's wrist, about 4 am.

Dan didn't think he could even stay up that late and survive. And maybe he couldn't even think about it in his sleep-deprived state.

The only person who didn't seem at all tired strangely was none other than Stephen. His eyes still were bright as before, energy not completely drained, and he walked ahead of all the others (who dragged their feet as they trod on).

"How--?"

"None of your fucking business." Stephen said politely despite the words he uttered. "But in case you haven't fucking noticed, I don't go to school, I don't have any parents, and I don't have any fucking income or home. So I stay up and do jobs, too, not just stealing, okay?" After the heated rant, he fell silent, and the others did not know exactly how to react to that.

"I'm sorry." Hosuh tried.

"For what?" Stephen snapped back, facing the front. He threw his purple hair that hung forward into his eyes back, and he turned back to face the others with ruby-red eyes. (That's phucking hot--) 

The stare was challenging, and no one had the strength to say anything, comforting or otherwise.

The droplet stopped and hovered in front of the opening.

There were lights. And small little cottage-like houses. 

And since it seemed late, there was only one lone figure standing.

He seemed young, not one of the elders, but still had an air of experience around him. He donned casual clothes, and a pair of delicate squarish glasses sat atop his angular nose, sliding down slightly. 

He was crossing his arms, already awaiting their arrival. 

They walked warily towards the man. 

The droplet dropped down and hid itself in Hosuh's uniform pocket.

"Hello. I've been expecting you." the man smiled wanly at all of them. "I expect that you're all tired, and sleepy and in need of a change of clothes. Well, I have that. But I gotta ask you some...questions first." 

"I don't need sleep. Mortal, you cannot began to fathom how I work." Stephen said spitefully.

"Yes, you do. And also, yes, you all need answers, and instructions where to go next, but I also need answers only you can provide." 

Dan opened his mouth, on a brink of saying something.

"And yes, Jaiden informed me. With her methods." the man said.

"I'm Jo. Pleasure." He swept his arms in a welcoming gesture.

"This is the Village of The North. I hope you enjoy your short stay here."

>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<

Once they had done virtually everything they really needed at the moment (food, clothes, arson, etcetera), and they were all full, and satisfied, and definitely sleepy by nearly 5 am on the watch.

"So, before you all set off to bed, I have some questions!" Jo said brightly, yet formally.

"What?" When no one answered among the other three, Stephen did, dragging his eye-bagged eyes to look at the man not a few years older then they were.

"How did you get here?" Jo leaned forward, a glint in his eye.

"Why the fuck would I tell you?" Stephen answered, at the same time as Hosuh, who sluggishly responded, "By some sort of portal, I don't know."

As Stephen turned to glare at the older boy, the man who claimed to be 'Jo' looked curiously at them.

"If you are not from here, why are you 'elementals'?"

"Do you really think if we knew, I'd not tell you in this sort of state?" Dan said wearily, rubbing his eyes a little.

"Hmm. Also, the elementals? The ones in the carving?"

"The heck are you saying?" Jay said, tone spiralling in tiredness.

"Come with me!" For the first time, Jo seemed to be invigorated, even excited, and it was strange even for the half dead four, for Jo had always (for the one hour they've been here) been calm, collected. Never excited or anything as graceless as that.

"Uhh? Okay?" Hosuh tried, trying to stand but failing and falling flat on his face.

Jo immediately jumped to help up the grey-haired guy.

"Maybe tomorrow. But--" Jo lifted the end higher. "Perhaps you want to know everything tomorrow."

"Yeah, yes, whatever, where's the beds?" Dan was eager to oblige.

"I don't need sleep. I said it before, I'll say it again." Stephen propped his head on his hand which rested on his lap, bored and just the slightest tired.

"I want 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, Jo Pussy." Stephen said as Jo led the others out of the tent they were in, not even bothering to turn towards the latter as he spoke.

"Yes, yes. I'll be back, Your Immortal Master." Jo drawled sarcastically, his grace figure gone suddenly.

Stephen didn't bother to look back.

>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<

It was Jay who woke up first. Used to an internal time clock and the absence of an alarm clock. But even for he, the area was bright when he did finally wake, and when he glanced at a dream-state Dan, it was supposedly nearly 12 in the afternoon on the watch. 

He threw the covers off, and hopped down, turning towards the others to wake them.

When they dragged themselves out of the beds eventually, they made their way to Jo's tent where he apparently slept, and where Stephen should still be, judging from the unslept-in quality of the fourth bed that should house a certain purple-haired dude.

Jay strode at the front, awake and eager to know more, what he refused yesterday because of the lack of sleep.

"Jo?" Jay moved into the tent, holding the flap opening for the other two to pass through.

"Mmm, in a second." Jo moved into view, glasses blurred a little.

Jay scanned the inside of the tent. "Where's Stephen?"

"Back there--he'll be here in a second."

Then Stephen stood there, hands strung casually on his messenger bag, not looking the least bit tired. "Finally, what are you all, sloths? At least wake up earlier, you don't need more than five hours of sleep to function anyway."

"We, unlike you, are not 'immortal', and you, unlike us, is used to staying up the whole night, so thank you very much." Jay scoffed, creating quotation marks with a twitch of his fingers.

"Unacceptable, Jay." Stephen aimed back at him, then turned to Jo, brushing his slightly ruffled purplish locks aside.

"You explain. I don't want to." Stephen said, then walked over to sit on a chair, posed as though a mastermind would.

Jo looked distastefully at the younger boy, then turned to the three, who looked eagerly back.

"Okay then." Jo sighed resignedly. "I didn't know I had to say things twice."

[I'm too lazy to write this information into dialogue with this writer block and the lack of time--

Basically, there are 4 runes, 1 for each element. Air, water, earth, fire. Each rune has a respective shape and inscription. However, each rune is guarded by the elemental families, and each element's elementals stay as far away as possible from each other. They are also a little hard to access. More often than not they find you, instead of the other way around.

To have the runes is to activate the maximum power of the four strongest elementals of each. The runes are only to be had in a dire situation, where reality will fall apart.

To defeat Xzander is oly possible with activation their max power, as Xzander or 'X' is powerful--with some particular powers to rival the four of them.

To be activated, the runes have to be held in the palm of the elemental of it, water to water, earth to earth etc. They have to be activated in the center of the whole 'country', where a stone stands with the dents in the shapes of each rune.

To restore the balance, they must reach this place without activating them and hold the runes to activate them, then sliding them into the stone. The stone will them reveal a 'weapon', something that can defeat even the toughest of wrongdoers.

However, it also requires something special, which will be revealed later :)

That's it, and if you read this whole chunk, you are an absolute legend :D

Until probably a lot much later, I'll see you in the next chapter! Stay hydrated and wear your seatbelt!

~Double 💖]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pew.


	11. Runes |10|

"So, we have to find these runes, which lie with elementals who are hard to reach to defeat the Lord-Shadow-Master-who-was-an-elemental-who-controls-half-the-world and go to that rock thing to activate? (Jay made small quotation marks and tilted his head slightly) And then we will have enough power to send us back home?"

"Pretty much, yes." Jo pushed his glasses back in habit, settling himself gracefully on another chair as Stephen had already occupied his usual seat.

"Why the fuck do we need to save 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 world first, anyway?" Stephen arched an elegant eyebrow, resting his head delicately on his half-balled hand, which rested on the armrest. "I think personally that we can just go ourselves anyway. We don't need to save your world or anything that tedious."

"Because the balance of the Elements is present in your world too. And if it collapses, your world will collapse along with ours, juts like the domino effect, ripple effect, blah."

"So we essentially have no choice." Jay spoke, seeming to stare directly at Jo.

"In a sense. But it's also to save your own world. From X."

"What does this X have that's so powerful?" Dan leaned forward in anticipation.

"Why, he has powers like you." Jo reached out to get ahold of a shiny spherical ball, which held some unknown substance. He rolled it in his hands, and Hosuh watched as the substance swirled with motion, giving a hypnotising effect. It calmed him in ways he did not understand.

"He has all the elemental powers. Not just water no longer, but all four. Yet not as strong as all of you combined." Jo surveyed the four over the rim of his squarish glasses. "Perhaps we all have hope."

"Nah, you don't. We can't even control our 'powers'."

"You'll learn to." Jo placed the sphere back on a desk.

"The first elementals nearest here is the water elementals, who protect the Water Rune. They live in the Lagoon, about a few Ratis away." Jo gestured vaguely at a distance. "I cannot come with you, for I have a village to take care of."

For Hosuh, he felt faint confusion of the term. "Ratis?"

"Like, distance measurement?" he was met with blank stares and Dan mouthing the word 'what' slowly. 

"Anyway," Jo recovered some of his composure from the four not knowing a simple thing as measurement, "They're near here. But they're pretty...unfriendly. Like no offence whatsoever, but they only help the village when they have to. And that's like once in my lifetime."

Stephen sighed. "Huh."

"Well, that is kind of a problem," Jo admitted slowly.

"Everything is a problem in this world," Jay said, snatching the sphere from where it sat quickly.

"Not like your world is better," Jo snapped back.

Jay smiled approvingly. "Mmmmm, sass."

>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<

They agreed that they would set off the following day, after packing suitable items for their journey in four separate bags--or it would if Stephen wasn't that adamant in using the old messenger bag.

"Stephen--" Hosuh tried to reason.

"I'm not using the backpacks, I'm not leaving my messenger bag, and no, I'm not going to change my mind." Stephen shooed the older away.

No matter what the others said, he refused or refuted it, stubborn. In the end they were too tired to argue more, and slowly gave up, leaving Stephen happily victorious.

At the end of the day, they walked around the small village.

The preparations were already done, and they already were donning some new fabric clothing. They were merely taking a stroll.

People bustled around them, preparing for the night. As the gold-red dry leaves fell, people packed up, held their loved one's hand. Some bid quick farewells to their friends and zipped quickly back home, to where their families lay in wait for them in the comfort of their warm homes.

It made Hosuh think of his own back home.

Would they be worried sick? He never left home for more than an hour without saying a quick word to his family, whether through word or text.

Did they panic when they realised, finally, that he wasn't coming home?

Was his parents okay, with the overbearing stress of work and the knowledge that their son was missing, but still having to go to work to keep their unstable jobs?

Was Joey okay?

"Hosuh..." A warm hand carassed his shoulder, radiating heat that calmed him so. Dan smiled gently at him. "Are you okay? Thinking about home?"

"How did you know?" Hosuh averted his gaze from the warmth from the other's.

"I think, too. About my parents. And Elias. And my friends. I worry, too. You're not the only one." Dan said softly.

"I--I just--just can't help but think about them. How are they doing? Are they sad? Worried?" Hosuh sighed. "Oh Undyne, I can't stop worrying."

"Perhaps. Perhaps all you need to do is to stop worrying, and get back home as soon as possible." Dan told him, his expression gentle, yet the other could see the nervousness present in his eyes.

"Maybe." Hosuh swept his bangs aside with a flick of a wrist and behind his ear, only for it to eventually flop back where they were stubbornly.

"Don't worry, Hosuh. I know we have hope."

But I can't help it, he thought, inwardly, quietly, I can't help worrying for them.

And obviously something decided to break his train of thoughts and interrupt with a loud crash of something falling over.

"Jay!" He heard, and he saw Stephen running forward, his legs a blur, locks flying back with his speed.

"Jay, are you alright?"

Something sank in and Hosuh felt dread fill his cold stomach. Jay.

𝘑𝘢𝘺.

He ran forward after Dan, praying hard nothing would happen to him, but that humongous tree lying on its side helplessly told him cruelly otherwise.

>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<

Jay stood inches away from the fallen tree, stunned and unable to move from the spot like he'd thrown an anchor to the ground.

He was certain it had come right at him. It created a dark shadow as it teetered directly over him and down, and he ought to bite the dirt then.

But when he turned and opened his eyes, the tree was a meter, no, a centimeter away, directly looming above him.

And he heard faint cries of denial. Rejecting what was to come of him. He'd stumbled back, eyes wide.

And the tree moved horizontally. Impossibly, it had moved slightly to his right, like the sheer power of some unnatural force, and crashed. Yet it had been suspended before, when it moved sideways.

This place really fucks physics, doesn't it?

And he felt something else, no, someone else, or even more presences than that, near him.

|You pause at that statement.

𝘌𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘴?

You read on, despite the recent disappointing and disgusting happenings of the danplan crew--not that you'll call them that anymore. It is all Actually, Plan B, and Odd. No longer a group. But this random story does help to soothe you, as you lie in your covers, eyes skimming the words.

Then a thought comes to you.|

"Jay?" he heard, and then Stephen was hugging him tightly, and wetness trickled down his neck told him surprisingly that Stephen, the cool and unaffected dude, was crying.

And then the others were there too, and they all hugged him tightly, roughly.

"Please don't scare us like that ever again."

"I--I didn't mean to--" Jay let the hug continue for another second, then gently pried them from his body.

"How--? I saw the tree fall right in your path!"

"Honestly," Jay looked back at the tree, and felt the presence, or presences again, "I don't know. The tree just shifted. Like someone 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 it to happen. Or several someones."

Dan frowned. "Well then, thank Undyne." 

[Let me use Undyne as a god, okay? >:0]

"Jay, are you completely sure you're okay?" Stephen held him by his shoulders and scanned his body from top to bottom, as though an x-ray machine. "I can't lose any more--" 

His voice broke off suddenly as it cracked, and Jay got a distinct feeling Stephen had accidently said too much. 

The other swung away quickly, turning his face away. "Whatever! Just, like walk away from that tree, let's just go already!" 

He walked past, face hidden in the crook of his elbow, his messenger bag flying behind in his haste. Jay looked after him. 

Stephen cared so much about the three of them that it would physically hurt him. And it was obvious of some tragic backstory. Jay himself had one, but he was unsure if it was even half as tragic as the younger's. 

The other two soon followed the departing purple-haired boy, giving him the space he undoubtedly needed. 

He, however, did not. He stood at the same spot. He was reluctant to leave the spot somehow, and any attempt to do so was stopped by his instincts. 

|You are confused. What if--|

He tilted his head up to the sky. To seemingly nothing. 

|You realise that OddJayAlter is staring right at you just like Elias did. You sit straighter, and hold the phone closer. Perhaps by the power of Reader and Plot will make you physically involved in this story.|

He stared at the air for a while. 

Then he turned, hurrying after in the half-elementals' wake. 

|You feel disappointed. But something comes to you. The tree. Was it you who caused to not to crash onto Jay? (perhaps--) 

Elias had already contacted you impossibly, and you had said a resolute yes in agreement, and hadn't he thanked you with furious relief? He'd walked away with the promise he'd contact you soon. 

You hope that Elias isn't dead, but you are seriously doubting the Author's mercy towards his characters. Because to you, the Author would kill off a character 'just for backstory and plot!' with a grin. 

You hope that the Author would not kill off any characters. 

Yet you hope, too, that Jay becomes self aware in this shitty fanfiction you're reading instead of a proper book, and can talk to you. 

Because who doesn't idolise OddJayAlter?|

>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<

Dan was attracted to go outside.

The wind blew strong at that time of the night, and his loose clothing rippled around his frame as he walked, barefoot, from where the others slept, deep and senseless, in the midst of their dreams.

The forest called his name.

It pulled his being, and Dan did not try to resist its enduringly luring call.

Leaves and branches did not break or crack under his bare soles.

The village was silent.

Dan walked into the forest. He felt happy, and a sense of familiarity in there, as though an old friend.

A seedling attached itself on the back of Dan's hand.

He smiled at it, and it glowed in response. The forest glowed, too, and swayed comfortingly in the night.

𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬.

Dan turned.

And he saw someone he never thought he'd see. Someone who had scratches and cuts from travelling through a forest, who smiled weakly at Dan, a familiar and warm one filled with the relief of dumping a heavy burden.

And the person lifted his arms in a gesture of a welcoming hug, and Daniel flew forward into the arms, relief and surprise streaking through his being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi


	12. In Which They Run Into Even More Trouble Than Is Worth |11|

They swung the backpacks over their shoulders, equipped with sufficient items for their journey. 

"All set?" Jo asked, and looked them up and down quickly.

"Uh-huh," Jay agreed, patting his pockets briefly and feeling for a moment for a knife or a gun, then realising he didn't have one.

_Bother._

The guy who did have one slung his precious messenger bag on his frail shoulders, and was busy looking through it.

"What'cha searching for, Steph?" Jay smiled at the smaller and slender younger.

Stephen looked up sharply. "Please don't call me that. Also, none of your fucking business."

"Stephen, can't you put down the vulgarities? I mean, yeah, they're welcoming, but can't you—"

"Stop swearing? No. Keep swearing? Yes." The younger boy swept aside his locks of lavender hair from his eyes, flipping them quickly upwards, where it would eventually flop back down.

"You know that's really pretty and hot, right?" Jay said offhandedly at the inadvertent hair flip, looking away.

"I— wha— What do you—" Jay caught a glimpse of the younger's pale complexion turning faintly pink, lips slightly open in embarrassment, hands still resting protectively over the messenger bag.

Jay smirked slightly as the corner of his lips turned up, Stephen turning quickly away.

"Stop it, you two, or we're leaving without you!" Dan called back, where he and Hosuh were already waving to Jo and a few steps away from them, walking towards the Lagoon, probably about 30 kilometres (in their world, as described in difficulty by Jo and translated roughly by Hosuh) away from the Village of the North.

Stephen shot forward without waiting for Jay.

And Jay raced behind him.

___________________

They hiked on, stopping occasionally to drink some water, or to rest for a few minutes.

"You know, this has been pretty crazy already," Hosuh stated redundantly.

Dan stared at the sliver-haired boy. "What, do you really think we all think that this is perfectly normal?"

"That was obvious, Captain." Stephen puffed, eyes facing down, focusing on observing the knife he wielded.It sparkled slightly in the sun, too bright to be simply reflection, yet none noticed.

"I know." The sliver gentle boy answered,"I just wanted to say it out loud, y'know? Voice out what we were all thinking."

All was silent as they all soaked in what was actually happening, a final silent moment where they could just stop and drop and _think_ about everything that's happened so far.

"When did our lives become _this_ crazy?" Jay wondered out loud.

"Obviously since you met _me_ ," Stephen drawled, putting emphasis and stress on the last word.

"Well then, no shit Sherlock," Jay said.

"Okay. Okay." Hosuh collected himself, remembered that they were in the midst of a dangerous forest full of shadows.

"We gotta go before _they_ come."

Then they walked, together.

As a team.

As the Four Elements.

___________________

They met with less accidents along the way, the only one being a stray rock which Hosuh was going to trip over. However, Stephen stabbed it to death before that could happen, and all was good.

When they reached the edge of the forest, it was about mid afternoon by Dan's probably reliable watch.

The sun shone on them as they wheezed one the light, no longer obstructed by golden red leaves.

It felt wonderous, a special gift.

W̸̺̼̣̱̩̻͕̳̩͈̐̌̄͐́̍̽̀̃͂̍̕̕̕ĥ̶̛̠̘̮̯̩̬̞̩͖̙̔̆̉͗͋̕a̴̛̮̠̜̯̠̬̩̦̠̙̪͛̈́̓͂̂͊̔́̍͋̕͘t̶̡̛̫̺͓͓̼̹͈̯̺͈̰̩̋̌́̏̊͛ ̶̨̧̡̮̻̹̹͕̟̮͖̪̙̻̀͜i̶̙̹̪͉͐s̴̘̘̙̋̇ ̸̧̨̟̺̹̫̆̾h̷̝̘̬̄̂̈́̉ạ̸̛̿̒͆p̶̖̯̥͋̃͆͐͊̑͒̂͗̇̂̔̄͘͝p̵̼͕̻͍͕͈̰̭̬̱̗͖̘͌͗̿́̄̆̎̽̀͠͝ȩ̸̛̝̟͔͖͇̳̥̎̿̆̿̃̀̉̅̈́́͐̚̚n̴͉͎̖͉̳̟̈́̽͌̕͜i̷̡͚̦̫̺͔͉͖̞͓̾̔͌͑̀͑̂̾̃̊͘̕̕ņ̵̱͕̱̥͖̣͚̜͈̗͋͋̈̐̊̌̓̇̾͜ͅg̷̡̮̳͎̼̗̳̰̣̽̄͊͋̏-̸̨͇̞̟̙̭͙̰͎̲̙͚͇͐̎͛͛̈́̋̇̏̾͂̏̅͘͝͝ ̸̨̰͓̤̔͗̑̾͗̆̇̊͒̍̃̉̚͝ỳ̸͎̘̀̔̈́͌̾͛̈́̉̌̋̉͘͠͠o̴͕̒͗̏̎̎͑̋̌͌̋͝u̵̢̞̠̭̗̺͍̪̥͔̇̈͐͛̌͝ ̷̡̬̖̫̪̫̀̑̈̍̃̆ͅt̶̡̤̩͓͚̞̄̑̽̑̏̆͋̄͐̀͝h̶̨̖͚̟̺͓̜̮͙͍͍̫͕̭͍͑̾́͌̽̂̾i̸̢̨͖̫̣͈̮͍̪̹̻͕̿̓́͐ṅ̸̻̜̻̬͈̦̲̝̄͜͝ͅͅḵ̵̘̥̰̙̞̰̠͈͎̃̈́̀̑̿͛̈͠

The sunlight was comforting, tingling. They sighed in its warmth.

And before them is the Lagoon, knowable by the humongous water body in front of them. The surface is still, no ripples seen at all, a smooth mirror.

"So," Hosuh says, "What do we do now?"

He strode over to the water, the rest following.

The water was near invisible, that was how clean it was, and—

There seemed to be nothing at all in it. Not a person, or an animal. Nothing. Nor, most importantly, an elemental.

"Where are they?" Dan said loudly. He reached forwards. The seedling on his hand reeled back from the water, but he took no notice. Jay did, however, but way too late.

"Dan, stop!" Jay tried to say, but not before his fingertip touched the surface just like Jay did at the Waterfall.

Then a sucking sound, faint at first, yet growing louder and louder.

And then Dan was pulled irresistibly into the water. He struggled, and in his absolute shock Jay still managed to hang onto him by his shirt, and the others too, holding him fast by his other not underwater arm—

The seedling struggled underwater, seeming to gasp for breath. Dan looked up terrifiedly, clearly scared to the bone as four struggled against the strong and steady pull of the water—

And one of them slipped, not clear which, and loosened his hold—

They all tumbled into the quicksand water, and before he was pulled underwater, Jay heard Stephen yell, before his ears gushed with water—

"Not _again!_ "

_[Haha Jayphen—_

_Jkjk there is no ships as y’all know_

_-Double]_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Water.


	13. Well that Shit Sucks |12|

When Hosuh came to, there was a face in front of him.

"Gah!" He yelled, and jumped up from his lying position.

Only to move slowly, actions slowed by the anti-gravity and pressure of water. And, of course, the chains linking him to the wall, heavy-looking ones that looked like they weighed ten tonnes. But weighed nothing at all in water.

Hosuh backed away from the face, a face of bluish qualities.

"Who're you?" He asked warily. "And where—"

"Are your friends? Somewhere. Not here. I don't make the decisions around here." The person-thing said cooly, yet overeagerly.

It— or as it sounded like, he?— was, like Jaiden, features moulded from water itself, yet his body wasn't yet one with the water. There was a different quality, and he (?) donned simplistic clothing (?), a kind of jacket made of what looked like water, and deep blue shiny water-ish legs that looked exactly like water-made skinny jeans. He had a face of someone who would be eight to ten years old.

His hair was just there, apart from the water around them at his roots, then slowly merging with the water at their end.

The elemental blinked curiously at Hosuh.

"Excuse me, water elemental! I have to—"

"What are you?" The elemental asked him, cutting him short.

Hosuh decided that if his captor asked him a question, he should better answer.

"Um, a human?"

"Interesting." His voice was vaguely youngish, and he put out a hand to pull at Hosuh's face.

"Er— please don't touch me like that?" Hosuh ended with a upraised note, crossing his eyes to watch the elemental.

"Why not?" He stopped.

"It's... rude?"

"What's that?"

The elemental tilted his head as though not understanding.

"Man—manners? You know?"

"What's _that_?"

Just like how Adam the half-demon didn't know what a country was, the elemental didn't know the word itself.

Hosuh softened his voice. Evidently a child, and he could probably come to terms with him to maybe release him.

"When it's inappropriate or something, you don't do it, you know? By the way, what's your name?"

The elemental tilted his head in a mimic of innocence.

"I'm Ahr. I'm gonna be 200 this year! And Mother better give me presents!" He sticker out his chest in childish surety.

"200?" It was unbelievable, to say the least, that this boy (or elemental, he didn't care) was 200 years existent in this world.

Then again, who knew how time worked here?

"Can you release me, Ahr?" He said gently as though to a child (which, it was).

Ahr looked at Hosuh with wide eyes. "I'm not allowed to, and I don't have authority. Sorry!"

Hosuh sighed. Then suddenly realised he _could_ sigh in water. And talk.

"What the ever loving _fuck_?" He sweared, surprising himself. Well. Not like anything did make sense anyway.

"What's fuck?" The boy asked him curiously.

"Nothing," he answered quickly, not wishing to corrupt the boy.

"That's not nothing, but okay." He floated off, and then Hosuh watches him shape water into a hand, slightly distorted as though he'd copied what Hosuh's hand looked like. He tried in difficulty to wave it, and it moved barely.

"Bye bye!"

"Hey, wait—"

Then he was gone.

Hosuh groaned in despair. Where were the others? And what's happened to them?

"Hello."

Another elemental was in front of him, smiling. They donned a sort of hoodie, yet similar to Ahr's body matter. Hosuh stiffened in shock, but relaxed, because this sort of thing was becoming something of the norm.

"I'm Clerai. Pleasure. Don't mind Ahr, he's too excited for his birthday. I'm not supposed to be here, either." The voice was masculine, with a tinge of roughness, yet warm.

"Can _you_ free me?" Hosuh said eagerly.

He frowned slightly and looked doubtfully at the boy with sliver bangs. "Um, I'm not the Queen, I can't? Also, I came to check on you. I'm certain you aren't X's minions. Right?"

"I—" Hosuh started, a bit thrown off balance.

"I'm sure you aren't," Clerai said quickly. "But Queen Lyrea thinks otherwise. Gotta be suspicious in these dark times, y'know? But I don't think so. You nor your friends. They're well, don't worry. Surviving."

"What do you mean, _surviving_?" Hosuh said in reflex.

"I— um, ignore that. You have an aura, you know? It's different from normal 'humans', whatever the heck they are."

"I'm a water elemental, Clerai!" Hosuh quickly interjected. "Me, and the others are other elementals!"

"But you're not like us." Clerai said, moving closer.

"Trust me, we are!"

Clerai looked undefinedly at Hosuh, his sliver hair floating in water's buoyancy and the rest of the hair bunched to form a short ponytail, and his eyes shining with absolute truth.

"Okay. Okay. If what you say is true, I'm taking you to see Lyrea."

___________________

Clerai took Hosuh by his chains, and a quick heave, the chains broke from the wall, trailing like wisps on a wind. "Don't do anything funny, okay? For our sakes." He warned quickly. Hosuh nodded in response, hoping that gesture was enough.

He held the chains by their ends, not even trying to unlock the chains rubbing his wrist painfully. And so Hosuh trailed behind the water elemental, not given a choice. The chain pulled taut sometimes, and Hosuh was jerked slowly forwards. But Clerai could swim fast, from his non-existent feet, but chose instead to put on a pretence of walking like a human would.

_Why. Just why._

They arrived at a special place. It felt special, and looked special, by the intricate designs etched painstakingly on the walls (of those were that). It was a round-ish room, a simple seat in the middle of it, nothing lavish compared to the rest of the room. The chair in question wasn't facing them, but the other way.

And there was no one else in the room from his perspective.

A voice rung out, clear yet cruel.

"Do I have to torture you more for your secrets?"

"Well, fuck you, woman. I listen to no one." Stephen's voice was somehow even louder than the former's voice, piled with mock disinterest and clear disdain.

Which, Hosuh speculated, was a _dumb, dumb_ thing to do in the presence of someone who might just kill you.

"Shut up, Stephen! Let me handle this!" Another, and Hosuh recognised it as Dan's, hinting at fear.

"We're not part of X's group, whatever you think, m'lady." A more quiet and calm voice, Jay's serene own, rung.

"Hey, no, stop, those are my friends!" Hosuh screamed. It rebounded loudly, louder than any of their voices combined. And then it was silent.

Clerai whipped his head to face Hosuh quickly. "Don't!" He said, and in his wide eyes Hosuh could see unadulterated fear.

But it of course was 𝘸𝘢𝘺 too late, and the feminine voice paused.

"Who is that, Clerai?"

"It's the other human, Lyrea." He said with grace, as though he was in court.

"The sliver-haired one? Huh. _Now_ I can make him talk."

And Hosuh saw Clerai involuntarily loosen his grip on the chains, and he was flying in the water, towards the presumed female water elemental on the chair.

"No!" He heard Clerai mouth, as though he'd _cared_ about how well Hosuh was, which was probably not going to be good for his health, he thought as he zoomed through the water to the elemental, pulled by something reminiscent of a whirlpool, chains trailing.

"Hosuh?" He heard, and he saw his friends kneeling on the supposed ground, head forced down by an unknown force. He knew it was Stephen who said so, from the tang of his voice and the amount of tsundere vibes it gave Hosuh.

"Well. If it isn't your kind." The cold voice said, and Hosuh looked up to see a woman, oddly beautiful, eyes narrowed in distrust and disgust.

She raised an arm, prodding his chest painfully, and Hosuh nearly fell slowly to the ground. "I _know_ you're in _his_ league, aren't you? Who else would come down here in an attempt to retrieve that—" she stopped adnormally, and Hosuh knew what she was going to say.

"Water Rune." He finished, a habit of correcting others irritationally. He winced as soon as he closed his mouth.

"So you _do_ know about it."

"Lyrea—" Clerai's warm voice echoed, slightly pleading, to appeal to Lyrea. "I don't think—"

"Not now, Clerai!" She snapped, then turned back to Hosuh, their faces just inches apart.

"Don't think I don't know what X wants. I was his Queen, after all. Don't think I don't know what he's planning." She hissed in his ear, and Hosuh's ear rung for a second.

"We're not with this X!" He cried out in near frustration which accomplished nearly nothing.

"After all, who _wouldn’t_ talk if they saw their friends—" she snapped with a water hand figure, which then dissolved in the water, "getting tortured? Something I myself never understood, but humans are humans."

_No_! He screamed in his mind, right at the moment they all started writhing. He saw Jay clawing at his bare neck as though he was choking, and saw his face flush and gasp for air (in water). He saw Dan doubling over, on the floor, hands trying to shield himself from something. And Stephen was also choking, gasping, and he had fallen to his the floor—

"No! Stop it!" Hosuh tried to run forward, yet was stopped by the unknown force. "No moving until you tell me. Or your unfortunate friends," she looked coldly at the three, _"die."_

Hosuh panicked. He couldn't see them dying right in front of him while he just watched, doing nothing to help them. He felt a rush in his ears, a shiver in his bloodstream, his fingers itching terribly.

He couldn't do it, couldn't _stand_ it, couldn't just do freaking _nothing_. He had to do something, no matter what. No matter.

_No. Not them. Never them._

And now he released the pent-up energy he'd held back for so long, for too long, itching in his fingers and toes and all his being, and the blue and sliver magic burst from him, a welcome gesture. Water swirled quickly and rapidly around him, so as the headache that grew into a full-blown racking of his skull. He smiled. _Finally_.

He saw vaguely as Lyrea lifted a vague eyebrow in surprise, and dropped off her chair, swirling away from the whirlpool of Hosuh's. He saw Clerai look at him with— what? Knowing?— keeping his distance, eyebrows furrowed.

Simultaneously they dropped, the three of them flopping to the ground gratefully.

Hosuh widened his eyes and he found himself floating near the ceiling, looking down at the five organisms.

Blue swirled around his slight body, a kind of magical moment, and his hair surrounded his head like a halo.

It was a surreal moment as his friends looked up at him, staring in wonder. Lyrea zoomed towards him, a thoughtful shadow over her round face.

"Hmm. Guess you're not."

___________________

Lyrea sipped from a water teacup in pretence while Hosuh looked on skeptically.

"So you really are a water elemental."

"That's what I've been saying." Hosuh cleated his throat doubtfully, because what did one do in this sort of situation?

Well, no one had ever been in this situation, either, so he couldn't mirror anything they did not do.

Stephen pushed Hosuh aside roughly, and stared at the aboveforementioned half-elemental with his ruby red eyes. "Seriously?" He hissed, and Hosuh couldn't help but reply with a straight "yeah".

"Look, she nearly fucking _strangled_ us, and we would have been fucking _dead_!"

"But you aren't."

"I— 真— seriously? 你—"

"I don't speak Chinese, Stephen." Hosuh said, casually checking his fingernails.

"Well then, fuck _you_." He turned away, face a faint red.

"Stephen, stop swearing," Dan called from nearby, where he and Jay sat mafia-style on their chairs, arching a judgemental eyebrow at the boy in question.

"No." Stephen said shortly, flipping his hair to his side. "I politely refuse, Sir Hilter."

Hosuh sighed at their public shenanigans, and turned back to the lady sipping imaginary tea.

"So we need the Water Rune."

Lyrea lifted her head finally to face Hosuh. "Yes, I know. Yes, you're the elementals of the legend. But question is, _why should I care_?"

"Because it's something happening to your world."

"And you think I care for it?" Lyrea tipped the cup fully then flung it for it to merge once again with the water. "If it doesn't affect the water elementals, why should I do anything?"

"Because you will get affected! And it is your duty to hand the Rune to the One Water Elemental! Your world's _not_ gonna die _or_ ours because of _you_!"

She sniffed. "Whatever. It's your choice. I'll give you the Rune tomorrow. But in the meantime, I insist on shelter."

"We don't—"

"No arguing!" she said cheerfully. And she swum from her seat, winking playfully at Hosuh and waving a queenly hand.

"Be good!" And she was gone in a flash of reflected light.

Hosuh sighed in frustration.

But of course, all they could do was obey, wasn't it?

[Did my eyes just malfunction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi :D


	14. . |13|

|αηԃ ωнσ ѕнαℓℓ ѕαу тнαт αℓℓ ιѕ ρєαс̶є?

ƒσя αℓℓ тнαт ιѕ вяσкєη, αηԃ єνєя. αηԃ ηєνєя.

αηԃ тнαт, ιѕ тяυℓу тнє ۹υєѕтιση. тнє вιցցєѕт σƒ ۹υєѕтισηѕ.

-тнє αυтнσя, σƒ тнє ƒσυя єℓємєηтѕ.|

Jay awoke in the middle of the night. It was strange, that feeling of dread, although nothing bad had happened.

So far.

He cursed in Spanish, having learnt it from his mother when she'd dropped a whole plate on her foot when he was eleven. It was useful, and he still remembered it till that day.

"Mierda," he cussed, running his fingers roughly through his untamed hair, sticking up even wilder even in water, making it doubly hard to tame, and it floated around his head like a clown's wig, not like he was complaining.

The bedroom was grand, an elegant simple table with a drawer at his side, and a bed with a gorgeous duvet made for two, yet he slept alone. But he wasn't complaining, honestly. Who wouldn't want extra space to roll about on the bed.

The room was illuminated by the moonlight, the overall effect a dark-blue hue, that meant clearly to calm one. But of course he wasn't, because of the shit that happened so far.

He tried to kick open the covers, but dragged down by water, all it did was to rise slowly, and as impatient as he was, he pulled it away, and got out of bed. He couldn't walk, but instead swum, to where he knew the door was located.

He heard sounds. Faint as they were, yet audible. Soft talking, and shuffling.

He had to hear more, somehow, for his curiosity and instinct told him to do so.

He swum to the door, then pushed it slightly, it responding with swinging slightly ajar. There the supposed words grew to form audible sentences, and he could listen in, however guilty he certainly did not feel.

The voice was two, actually, and the first was tanged with hardness and a sharp tongue.

"Ahr, I don't have any _time_ to deal with—"

"Clerai, what are you doing at this time?"

"I could ask the same, _Ahr_."

Jay heard the impatient sigh of the older (presumably) elemental.

"I heard noises, Clerai!"

"Probably nothing; go back to sleep, Ahr. You have business tomorrow." Clerai told the other sweetly, yet there was still a pinch of annoyance in his usually kind voice.

Jay listened intently, opening his eyes to try and focus more clearly.

"But—"

Jay leaned a bit too much on the ajar loose door, and it swung open as he stumbled out into the view of the two elementals.

"Er— hi?" Jay said sheepishly, awkward to interrupt and eavesdrop on a clearly private conversation.

Clerai glared at the boy, his sliver eyes narrowed in threat, a complete difference to his character in the day.

_But what was he doing in our dorms? At this time?_

And then Jay was hit with something as hard as a huge rock right in his stomach, and he groaned of incredible pain blossoming rapidly through his stomach, his hair flying as he fell backwards. His eyes open in heterochromia and he shielded his fall with quick reflexes and an arm.

And he couldn't do anything.

He couldn't do anything as Clerai whipped a curved knife-like thing at the nearest thing. Or elemental.

He couldn't do anything.

Jay watched in disbelieving shock as Clerai ran Ahr through with the knife.

Ahr widened his eyes in child-like shock—

The blade protruded from his tiny chest, the glint of the metallic blade cold and unforgiving, tinged even more so with blue, and Jay didn't watch, couldn't watch, couldn't 𝘥𝘰 anything, but he was unable to twist his head away from the scene—

Ahr scratched at his chest in obvious pain, his eyes flickering widely and wildly, mouth moving but no sound coming out, and from the corner of his terrified disgusted eyes Jay saw the calmness of Clerai, the sheer contempt and unapology in his eyes—

Then a vigorous pull, and the blade disappeared from Ahr's front, and re-emerged from the other side, Clerai hoisting the curved blade over the smaller other as Ahr fell to his knees, gasping, trying to form coherent words but failing—

The shadow over Clerai's face was _dangerous_ , his sliver eyes glowing, yet Jay ignored that, and scrabbled to the boy elemental who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Ahr? _Ahr?_ " Jay called desperately, turning the elemental over, on his knees and hands. The boy elemental who had seemed so innocent, so _young_ , stared unsteadily at Jay through his half-closed eyelids, a sliver-blue substance dripping from his mouth, obeying the laws of physics even when underwater.

"No, no, don't die, don't die—" he said urgently, terrifiedly, inclining his head at the dying elemental, and he doesn't know what to _do_ , to fucking _help_ —

"W...why? Why would...he do this? Clerai?" A raspy whisper, but Jay heard it, and it broke his heart still more, shattering it even further than it had been—

And Jay twisted his body just in time to dodge a curved blade swiping at him, missing his heart by just centimetres. It set his heart pounding in his ears in its broken state, and his head throbbing, and his eyes to flash open in their unlikely state.

_He did this._

And then Jay jumped up, facing Clerai, and stare at him in red and yellow.

"No." That's just what Jay said, filled with uncontainable rage, and then a bright flash, and he flew in absolute spur of the moment, in _air_ , given to him by the fire that shielded him like a capsule, and Clerai brought his arms up—

The water current changed, he could feel, yet he was _never_ in water, fire so intense water avoided it—

And Clerai changed his defence, moving to bring his knife up against the plummeting ball of fire and red and yellow—

The knife disintegrated upon contact of theflame, and Jay's eyes were a fire, glowing and determined, his teeth gritted like a brace—

And he swung his flaming hands towards the elemental, who was taken aback, falling quickly backwards—

It missed, but Jay was certain that he would _not_ miss again—

"Why did you do that?" Jay yelled as he pounced forward, unleashing fire in torrents toward the other, who pushed them back with difficulty with water currents—

"Why would you _do_ that?"—

"He was in my way, in our way. What of a single _boy_ ," Clerai laughed, an empty sound, yet full of threat. "When the goal is so _close_?"

"What goal?" Jay had to dodge just in time as Clerai lunged at him, twin water blades nearly as dangerous as the elemental wielding them swiping, and he heard the audible 𝘴𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘬 as they passed his ear.

"Why, to real power, of course!" Clerai stepped to Jay, bringing out a blade, and Jay raised a shield of fire to rival it, and the weapons clash against each other, neither fire nor water giving in to the other, sparks and droplets flying, illuminating their faces in mid-battle with a warm glow.

_"He’ll give_ me what _I_ want. _He’ll_ give all the power I want. And I'll be powerful.

"If I'd killed you and your friends. Just one. Or perhaps more. It'll be a pleasure to kill you." Clerai hissed, both in annoyance and delight.

"Well, you'd have to try." Jay smiled sadistically back, and they both reeled back from each other.

"I don't even have to."

And then it started.

___________________

Stephen awoke suddenly, uncertain what had happened, yet he knew something had.

_Jay?_ He thought.

And then he dropped down from his bed, and sped-swum out, because he felt him. He felt him in his head yet again.

_Fucking fuck!_ Stephen heard.

He hurried quicker, to the door, and in his haste the door blew open of its own accord.

And he saw Jay on the ground, and the back of someone who seemed awfully familiar—

And he saw Clerai, sliver eyes different, pressing twin blades down, slowly but steadily, a shadow over his face—

_[Dangerously, he thinks.]_

And the familiar blonde hair, yet for the first time, eyes open in a fierce red and yellow, his teeth obviously gritted, and his arms held in a defensive state, and—

_Fire,_ fire emerged from his arms, pressing the blades back, preventing them from reaching the owner.

Stephen was shocked, mouth slightly open, yet frightened for the other.

  
_What the fuck is happening?_

And on the spur of the moment, Stephen doesn't think, doesn't talk, and he 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘴 in air pushing his ankles and body, and the knife, the one Odd had enchanted with his sword, when he was in dire times, telling him _never to give up, because people were there for him,_ and he knew he had to help him—

He drew the knife from its holder, sparkling with magic in the sweep of his arm, and Stephen ran, and he saw Jay widen his eyes in surprise, and was it fear—

_Ste—_

And then Stephen threw the knife back, and brought it forward with all his might and strength and his will, blade-first—

Clerai whipped his head back, but it was way, _way_ too late for him to harm the boy of purple—

And the knife entered the elemental's body smoothly, uninterrupted, right at where someone's heart would be—

Stephen drew it back, then hacked even more as water not from around them, but from his eyes, rolled, and he stabbed—

Clerai shuddered a bit, but then was still, just like the boy elemental of 200.

_Dead._

Dead.

Like his parents.

And Gavin.

And Stephen collapsed, but Jay was there to catch him.

<><><><><><><><>

тнє αυтнσя ℓιƒтѕ α ρєη. ωнαт тσ ωяιтє? нє мυѕєѕ ѕтιℓℓ, уєт с̶нєс̶кѕ тнє с̶σммєηтѕ ση нιѕ єαяℓιєя ριєс̶є σƒ ωяιтιηց. нυн.

αня, нυн?

тнє αυтวσя ѕмιℓєѕ, ƒσя ωнαт нє ωєяє тσ ԃσ ωαѕ нιѕ αвѕσℓυтє ƒανσυяιтє.

ցσσԃвує, αня. мαу уσυ ℓινє ιη тнє αƒтєяℓιƒє нαρριℓу. тнє αυтнσя ցяιηѕ ѕαναցєℓу, αηԃ нє тωιѕтѕ тнє ρєη, αηԃвєցιηѕ тσ ωяιтє.

ωнєη ωιℓℓ тнє 'яєαԃєяѕ' ƒιցυяє συт ωнαт тнєу тнιηк αƒƒєс̶тѕ тнє ѕтσяу?

ρℓσт αηԃ вєтяαуαℓѕ αηԃ ѕєс̶яєтѕ αηԃ <ηԃнԃвєввԃн> αηԃ ωнαтησт, нє тнιηкѕ.

ι σωη тнєм αℓℓ.

ωαтс̶н

συт.

нє ѕмιℓєѕ αт уσυ.

тαԃα.

> **Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jay: fuck I need help  
> Stephen: okay oh and also I get to think back on my tragic backstory  
> Jay, Hosuh, Dan: ???????????????


	15. Gavin. |14|

_They were just children, teens, innocent, young, yet hardened with loss and pain and the worry of starvation and dehydration every day.  
_

_Yet Stephen acted as their parents, for that was all Gavin had left._

_It was a day, clouded with black rain clouds, and the beginnings of droplets dripped onto them, leaving tiny dark spots in the places. They were huddled in an alley, on hard cardboard, whilst umbrellas of passers-by opened one after another, and then hoisted over their heads. But they did not have one, for they could not afford, with Stephen working a single shift at 14 and Gavin not allowed to help as a child of 12._

_"It's raining." Gavin stated, looking up, for rain drops to patter on his face, slightly more._

_"Yeah." Stephen said back, and they leaned against each other, Gavins head on his brothers shoulder, the absolute trust and bond something that could be physically seen._

_The drops crescendoed to a rain pour, and sheets of droplets fell upon the brothers, and nobody was outside except for them._

_"You're so warm, Stephen."_

_Gavin hugged Stephen tight, his blue hair that was swept to the side dripping and shining with water, his shirt dark with rain._

_And he hugged him back, tighter, placing his head on the others, resting his chin lightly on the azure hair, blue of a clear sky, bringing a delicate hand to place on his brother, and closing his eyes._

_"So are you."_

_They sat like this for a long time, against the red brick wall with colourful graffiti, against each other, for they were all they had._

And he was dead.

<><><><><><><>

_And then they were older, just by a year, and Stephen had walked to the alley after nicking some money and buying something unimportant, unrelated, contrastive to what had happened._

_He'd reached the alley, and he'd seen a knife flat on the ground. A knife, bloodied, coated with blood, and with crimson red liquid spilled all over the floor and he couldn't fathom it, couldn't, wouldn't , because at the spot Gavin always awaited was empty, swirling with draught and the scary emptiness that was replaced with a whole lot of blood. Blood._

_Of blood, undoubtedly, of someone he knew, knew too well._

_Gavin? He'd screamed, the sound echoing emptily through the remote and deserted alley, his desperate call lonely and kept unanswered by any boy with hair of a_ _crestfallen sky._

_No no no no no_

_And he couldn't do it, and running forward to the knife he saw another thing lying beside the knife._

_The bracelet, the one he had been given by their mother, who'd whispered sweet Cantonese into their young ears, the one Gavin treasured as though the air itself, lying lifelessly, the intricate-turned-faded designs etched upon it dulled with red._

_And he was certain that he was dead._

_It was confirmed that it had been a serial murderer who'd come for Gavin, who would have fought valiantly, struggling, before eventual doom had settled._

_His body was never found, nor was the serial murderer himself, though it was like he'd disappeared. Stephen supposed stoically that it was for the man's good. For he would have killed him with his bare hands with a blank face the moment he laid eyes on the murderer. Without any remorse whatsoever._

_For murdering Gavin._

_He was empty ever since._

_________________

"Stephen," he heard, a distance like miles away.

"Stephen," it insisted, stronger, and it hurt his head so much he had to open his eyes.

"Stephen." Softer, surer. Jay peered at him with half-opened eyes, and in his state Stephen could tell he was worried, and panicked about something.

About what? He struggled to make a rational thought.

"They're attacking." Two words, and he saw in a daze Jay lifting an arm quickly to loose a orange-blue fireball into the embrace of two water elementals, and then his ears filled with sound. It was confusing, loud, messy, with groans and screams and everything in between—

Jay held his frail shoulders with firm hands, heat slightly scorching but bearable as flames rose from his forearms and back.

"Jay, you gotta help the Queen and the loyal ones!" A shout, and Dan swum over, awoken undoubtedly when Stephen had been in his panic-attacked state. "Me and Hos'll bring Stephen back to the surface!"

"Got it." Jay nodded firmly, turning away from the two, and he flew off, and Stephen watched dully as he whipped a fireball right into a water elemental who sped to fight him, them shrieking and then collapsing like they'd died. And they probably did, from the two bodies still beside Stephen.

"Stephen, I'll have Hosuh bring you up there ASAP—" Dan frowned and looked toward the other boy.

Hosuh reached out to hold something—

"Hosuh! You cant touch that yet! Remember?" Dan snatched something from Hosuh's reach. The Water Rune.

"But Daniel—"

"No, Hosuh. We gotta go!"

They saw Queen Lyrea, face a determined mask, hands and legs out, pushing and pulling others away from the army behind her—

Traitors, they almost heard her hiss, mouthing the words with venom at the elementals who circled her, murder in their eyes—

Another elemental brought another down with a geyser of water, knocking them back, and everyone around them were in battle—

And shadows. Shadows of birds, flying, casing everyone in shadow, but Jays fire gave them light, fire streaming towards those elementals who attacked.

"Go!" They heard Jay scream—

"I'll come after you guys after I finish these pests off!"

And Stephen felt a tug, and Hosuh led him by his arm, and also Dan, hand wrapped tightly around his wrist, and they were speeding upward, but an elemental aimed something at them—

"Hhhs—!" Hosuh hissed, and he flinched a little at something, but he persisted in moving up—

And then they were out, flying out, and collapsed in a heap on the ground, with air.

And Jay sped out too, fire put out, his eyes closed yet again.

"Go, go, go—" and then Jay pulled them three up. And he pulled them away from the surface, just in time—

For an elemental lunged at them from underwater, but their—claws? What?— raked air, just where they had been.

"Go!" They heard a more familiar shout, and Lyrea lifted her head above water, a pissed mask. "Go! You have to. Go. I'll handle this fucking mess! The Water Rune is undoubtedly with you already, because I know how sly humans are—just go, okay?" she blasted a water stream at something below the surface, and one last look at the four of them, she was gone, like she was never there, a mere shadow among elementals and real shadows under the fake peace of the Lagoon, the crystal clear water an illusion to their pained and tired eyes.

_________________

"Stephen," Hosuh called yet again, to no response. He looked helplessly to Dan. "What do I do now?"

"I don't know, honestly. I dont know how to comfort people." He sighed, rubbing his green hair messily.

They both looked to Jay, who had been minding his own business, _thank you very much._

"What? Fine. What do you want?" Jay spoke levelly to the other two, head kept down.

"Can you—"

"No." Jay said bluntly, still keeping his head down.

"Come on, Jay—"

"He has enough on his mind, Hosuh. He doesn't want anyone's comfort." Before Hosuh could open his mouth in horrified rebuttal, Jay held up a slight hand. "He's having a memory. Something I myself would not want anyone to talk to me. And a tragic one, seeing how hed reacted to the dead body of—" Jay swallowed, then continued. "And Clerai's, the one he himself stabbed to death. The dead bodies must have triggered something. And what thing, is not my position, nor my physical ability to repel magical knives such as the one Stephen has in his possession, to find out."

"I—"

"And that's a gentle suggestion. If you want a stronger one, go directly to Stephen armed with his knife and his powers. Though I wouldn't recommend it, 0/10 stars." Jay shifted on the ground where they sat near a humongous rock which efficiently blocked them all from view, and where Stephen sat under and also blocked from the three's view.

Ironical, but whatever.

"But I don't feel good doing it like this..." Hosuh twiddled with his thumbs absently, stray sliver hair flying in the light breeze.

"Oh, Hosuh, oh you poor sweet soul, life's like that." Daniel laughed, a slightly empty sound. "Nothing ever goes the way you do want it."

Hosuh twisted his pale lips, but said nothing.

"In all honesty," Jay said after a moment of uncomfortable and swelling silence in between the three of the person of the elephant in the room, "He needs space. But eventually he'll have to open up."

"I hope he does, though. He needs it. He needs to let whatever it is go." Dan said passively.

"I guess he does." Hosuh rubbed his face, dirtied from travelling, from no purpose of direction and the uncertainty of where the other Runes were at, tired, hungry, hurt.

"I guess he does."

And they watched the sun setting as tears dripped off the angular chin of purple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wheeeeee  
> Uh   
> No summary for this one


	16. I hath sinned dear lord |15|

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Contains:
> 
> Fucking with your feelings 
> 
> Slight gore and a bit of here-we-go-again
> 
> Okay that's it haha
> 
> Sorry for the dump, I was too lazy to upload it all at different times]

They did walk over to Stephen in the end, but they saw how he furiously avoided their eyes, saw how when he thought they weren't looking he rubbed his tired eyes, and how he sank his face into his palms as though it were a refuge from his painful memories he wouldn't have wanted to remember.

Dan's heart clenched, and he had to look away.

_[ωнєяє'ѕ єℓιαѕ? уσυ тнιηкԃєвнѕнѕуցѕнวѕηвχн]_

They'd walked together, not speaking, not since the murders and the dead they saw. Not.

"Where are we supposed to fucking _go now?"_

He said, and his purple hair flipped over his eyes, and he adverted those ruby eyes.

Hosuh twisted his lips unintentionally, a habit he never broke.

And then he broke.

"Stephen, look, I don't— I don't. _Fucking. Care. Anymore._ Stop it. Stop this fucking shit." Hosuh swirled around, and he jabbed a finger at the taller boy.

"We all have our secrets, Stephen! 𝘠𝘰𝘶 are the one who's moody over it! Grow the 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬 up, Stephen! I don't even 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 anymore! I don't, I don't, I don't!" Hosuh glared up at him unhingedly, a strand of hair falling over his roundish face.

"I don't care! But I do."

Hosuh stopped, and his energy seemed to leak out and stop.

"And whatever you feel, I have family too."

Stephen's face was a mask.

"You don't know.

"You don't know how it feels to have family ripped out from your fingers, one by one. You don't know how it feels to see your mother die on a hospital bed. You don't know how it feels to see your brother's blood all over the place where you stay. You don't know how it feels to be so 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘺 all the time." He looked away, and all the fight he had had vanished, and he looked so sad and defeated.

"I—" Hosuh started, mind stubbornly fixed to the words 'my brother's blood'.

"Forget it," he said, and he pushed Hosuh aside, continuing to walk.

"Forget it."

And the three watched helplessly as he pulled the strap of the messenger bag oh-so-precious, and the hunch of his upper back.

The wind pulled at their ankles, not aggressively, and swirled past.

<><><><><><><>

They arrived at the top of a cliff, reasoned to be the better to see the land down below. With quick strides, Stephen walked up and slid down to sit at its dangerous edge.

The sunset light framed his face with gold, and he seemed doubly vulnerable in the light. Jay's heart ached for this traumatised boy, yet he did not speak, did not react.

The three stood behind the boy of purple, and then he spoke.

"I was 15. How awfully damaging would it be for some random boy, homeless, no family except for his only brother, to find no one at their usual hangout, and instead the floor covered in blood?"

A bitter laugh, a passive face, and Jay flinched.

"How would you cope? So I stole. More. Crap, I fucking loved stealing! Screw law, screw life, screw everything!" He raised his voice, and then it dropped, scarily. "And if I ever find that bastard, I _will_ kill them. Fucking serial murderer." The glint of the knife blade flashed and they noticed he had it in his slender hands, as it rotated carelessly in his thin fingers, his downward-looking face.

"Honestly, fuck life. I hate it. I hate everything. Fuck it." He said lowly, and then screamed. "Fuck you!"

The sheer sound of his scream echoed through the land below, and they heard distant calls of frightened animals. His voice broke at its middle.

And they saw him sink, saw him fold on himself, saw him place his trembling hands over his eyes, hiding their brilliance from the world. Hiding himself.

And they were there, holding him, because he needed it.

And they cared.

<><><><><><><>

And then they continued, venturing on, and resting at certain points.

Hosuh saw a flash of red. He wasn't certain what exactly that was, but he was too immersed in his thoughts and the Rune pulled him in that sense, a longing for a touch from him where it was clasped in Daniel's tight grip. He found himself irresistibly walking towards it, stopping with the small amount of self-restraint left that he had, and pulling away guiltily and reluctantly.

And something cold perched on the bare skin of his forearm.

He looked down. It was a butterfly. But it seemed to be made out of jewel. Red jewel.

_’The butterfly chases after jewels,’ he said, looking towards a strangely familiar purple head. ‘What good is it then,’ Stephen said, frowning, ‘if it only looks for jewels? I mean, maybe Daniel still has it, but what makes you think the jewel would withstand his idiocy?’ Hosuh sighed. ‘I don’t know, but it’s worth a try.’ ‘I swear, when we find Dan, I will hang him upside down for three days.’ Stephen scoffed, flicking his finger at something._

What was that-

Hosuh recalled, strangely, ice, and plants, and a-a dragon?

But he never knew Stephen— Nor Daniel before—

The jewel butterfly was fluttering, and it spread out its wings, the red catching the light, scattering red hues of light around, beautiful shades. Hosuh tentatively reached out a careful finger, and the jewel butterfly let him stroke its wings of beauty, every slight movement trembling its small body.

"What's that, Hosuh?" a sadistic tone called, and Hosuh found Jay leaning over and watch him pet (pet? Was that the word for such a creature?) the butterfly.

"A butterfly, huh." Jay briefly glanced at the other two trudging in front of them, and looked back at the butterfly.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious. Of course it's a butterfly." Hosuh resumed stroking it, once sending pleasant vibes through its tiny body.

Jay smiled, and Hosuh saw him open his strange heterochromia eyes to observe it better.

"I don't know how it came," Hosuh quickly interjected before Fire could speak, anticipating his question hanging from the tip of his tongue. "I just feel like-like it's familiar somehow, from somewhere else. Yet I don't know how or where. It just-just," Hosuh struggled with words, then gave up. "It just 𝘪𝘴. You get it?"

"No, but yes. 𝘐 never saw it before, though," Jay thoughtfully said.

"You guys better move, you know, if you want to find the Runes and get the fudge home," Dan called, and they noticed that they were lagging behind by a full ten-ish meters. Stephen laughed at something Daniel told him, and it vibrated through the mostly silent forest, it's vibrancy and how overally bubbly it was, and they all realised it was only the second time they heard it, and it triggered something in them.

They laughed, doubling over, the contagious disease of the Elements, and Hosuh and Jay ran to catch up with the other two, and they ran, laughing, always, Jay and Hosuh chasing, Dan and Stephen evading. At a point they collapsed, giggling, out of breath, exhausted, but happy.

Hosuh watched Stephen's face shine brighter than the sun itself and his cheerful yet egotistical speech about what to love about himself, and thought he had never seen better times.

<><><><>

Jay sung them to sleep as the sun set.

_"Wise men say_

_Only fools rush in_

_But I can't help_

_Falling in love_

_With you."_

It's sweet, and despite what Jay insisted, Daniel did not think that his singing was 'a fucking piece of shit, I seriously can't sing'. Quite the opposite, really. His voice dipped and rose, a gentle lull at the end of crappy days, missing their home. Their family, their friends.

Dan felt Hosuh's head fall onto his shoulder, and Stephen lay his head on his lap, and Dan couldn't bring himself to move and disturb them. He himself leaned against Jay, and Jay's soft rhythmic pats acted as a sleeping pill. He slowly nodded off, taken in the sea of Jay's voice.

Then he choked and gasped, and Dan jerked as a knife went clean through his stomach.

_I can’t fudging take a rest_ , he thought absurdly as someone brought the knife back, sliding it out from his stomach, and plunged it back.

"OH MY GOD DANIEL—" Jay yelled, and the force of his yell awoke his counterparts, and Hosuh and Stephen jerked awake. Their eyes landed on the scene.

Dan felt blood trickle down the corner of his mouth, drip off his chin. The wounds felt surreal, and he was numb to them.

"Let. Him. The fuck. Go." Stephen breathed on the ground, and without noticing, Dan saw in a haze that someone held a dagger to the purple boy's neck. He saw the strain in his eyes, the tautness of the other's neck as the figure pressed it to the throat. The figure also restrained the other effectively.

"Not so sure you are so safe yourself," the figure chuckled, pressing the blade closer to Stephen’s neck, and through the pain Dan saw beads of blood starting to form.

"And you two," the figure the only thing holding Dan up spoke, "don't try anything. You'll just end up like-" and a yell of protest from the immobile Hosuh before Dan felt his body shake as the knife entered his back and through to the front again. "Him."

"What do you want and why do you want to kill us?" Jay hissed lowly, and he pushed Hosuh behind him.

"Oh, we don't want to kill you, pffttt. We just want you to 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦. Follow us, and I'll spare the rest of you, and probably heal this guy," they shook him, and Dan felt on the edge of throwing up. "Probably."

Jay glared, and Hosuh's eyebrows dipped in their centers. "What makes you think we'll do that?"

"I have both your friends under a weapon, or," the other seemed to smirk, "through a weapon, ya know?"

"And, be quick, cause the weapons are enchanted with Ice, so- their heart rate is gonna slow pret-ty fast at this point." Dan saw the obvious slack of Stephen, his posture gone, and the pain came back tenfold, and his slight faded to dark.

Jay saw that, and quickly his hands burst to flame, and Stephen yelled something indecipherable as he hurled it right towards the figure holding Stephen. The figure recoiled, and his reflex caused the dagger to slide across his neck, scratching a straight line across his throat. Stephen dropped forward, clutching his throat, blood seeping through his frail fingers-

Hosuh aimed a geyser to the other figure, but the figure avoided it, spinning to their right, shifting Dan around-

Water erupted from his fingertips, strong streams, and they slammed into the figure irrelentlessly.

They fell back, and Hosuh rushed forward to help the purple boy up. "You okay?"

The other gasped, holding his throat, "I don't know, I can't... can't talk properly-"

"Hos-!" Stephen said, and Hosuh felt something cut his skin from behind, and he let go of the other, who collapsed on the ground without help.

Hosuh quickly faced to the figure standing over him, blasting a stream of water as Jay punched more fireballs into the figure on the ground, carrying the unconscious Daniel.

"Quickly!" Jay said, terrified, and Hosuh saw a cut jagging through the expanse of his face, his eyes open and looking, and as Hosuh blasted the other from where they stood, he saw more figures, all in the shadows, drawn by Jay's singing.

And they ran, the others hot on their heels-

Hosuh swore that he saw various weapons hurled to them-

"He needs them alive, so try to take them mostly alive!" He thought he heard a shout from one of the people-

Stephen slipped-

And Hosuh tried to grab him-

But he slipped too, and hit his head on something hard, and he fell unconscious.

<><><><><>

"You okay?"

"Hey, you know I'm talking to you. Hey!"

Stephen groaned.

"I think he's unconscious but you know he should be awake-"

And a kick to his side and Stephen's eyelids flew open.

A girl with wings stared back at him. She was alone.

"Who- who are you?" He wheezed, and regretted it as he clutched his throat.

"Oh yeah, you hurt your throat pretty bad, were you playing with knives?"

Stephen squinted. "...no?"

"Cause it sure looks like you cut yourself on the neck there," she said carelessly.

"I-"

"Yeah, spare me some slack, not every day I see a random purple haired dude on the ground dying," she said, and pink hair bunches into two pigtails waved in the breeze.

"I'm Annabelle, but you can call me Ann." She grinned. "I'm a fae.

"Kinda healed your throat a bit, so be grateful."

"Okay, fine, thanks, but can you help me up?"

She scoffed and reached out a small hand. He took it.

They walked, and Stephen couldn't calm his uneasiness.

"Where's the others?"

"What others? It's only you," Ann, presumably, said.

Ohnoohnotheygotcaught-

_Daniel_.

"Where are they?" The little drum in his chest thrummed faster, and he wanted to scream.

"I don't know who 'they' are, okay? So just shut up." Ann snapped, and he fell silent.

He had to reach them somehow- if they're caught.

"I don't appreciate that," the words rolled out, and he was surprised to hear that it sounded posh, full of sass.

I mean, he always was a more bluntly vulgar person.

"Wow, okay, then, _sir_." She dragged out the last word, sending her wings shaking in annoyance.

They walked to a village of sorts, and it was empty. But air flowed through it like currents,and it reminded him of his own powers.

"Wait," she said, not looking at him, and then she waved a hand, and the air parted like a veil.

He saw, wide-eyed, but not surprised, as winged fae flew over village-like rooftops, the younger ones laughing and pinching each other's wings in retaliation. And there were more, but they looked like part of the air themselves, translucent, and one whipped air around him as they flew narrowly past him.

_Air elementals_. And he'd stumbled across them accidentally.

"Mother!" yelled Annabelle, and everyone fell silent at once. A few shifting moments, and a woman fae parted the crowd.

"Who's this, Anna?"

Ann blinked.

"Um-"

"Stephen. It's Stephen." He said, and it slipped from his mouth unintentionally.

"You look..." the fae frowned slightly, "you look exactly like _him_."

"Who-" Stephen searched the older fae's eyes.

"You look like him." The elder repeated, and she put a hand under his chin to better observe his face.

"What are y'all looking at?" Another voice, softer but full of energy, and the crowd parted yet again.

Stephen blinked.

Blue hair tumbled in locks down the left side of his head, and the right was swept with an undercut. Purple eyes stared him back, and Stephen felt he wouldn't be able to talk for the fear of crying.

It's Gavin, miraculously _alive,_ and _here_.

"Stephen?" He said, and his voice trembled and cracked at its end. It's been years, five full ones, and he couldn't believe it, couldn't believe the boy he thought of dead. Gavin had aged, and his face was sharper, more like 𝘩𝘪𝘴 own jaw, and he almost saw himself like a reflection.

"I thought you were dead." Stephen whispered, and then Gavin ran forward, and he wrapped his arms tightly around the younger as he buried his face in Stephen's shirt, and he'd never felt more at home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dan: xox  
> Jay, Hosuh: WAKE UP DANIEL  
> Stephen: SORRY I CANT HELP IM PREOCCUPIED BY THE SLIT WOUND AND ALSO THE FACT THAT I HAVE A MAJOR CONCUSSION  
> Dan, Hosuh, Jay: *gets captured*  
> Stephen: :0
> 
> Gavin: holy shit it’s you  
> Stephen: how the heck are you alive sir I saw you die  
> Gavin: you didn’t exactly see me die right  
> Stephen:  
> Stephen: oh right


	17. Heya, Third Dump Chapter I’ve Written and it’s Undoubtedly Shit |16|

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: 
> 
> -Grammar towards the end is messy because  
> Because  
> -ah shit here we go again  
> -trauma
> 
> K have fun trust me it's as long as any chapter but because of and and, no full stops it seems short

Gavin sipped tea, and through the translucent glass cup Stephen watched the water level dip.

"Our mother was a regular human, and our dad was a fae. King if the Fae, to be exact. Our mother came here like you did, in a portal, and when the portal next appeared our dad jumped in with our mother, leaving the Fae with no King." Gavin paused. "You might imagine how they were not exactly pleased, but they were fond of our dad, and respected his very childish decision. But of course, a Fae in an entirely human world was no mean feat, and he died after, leaving us only to our mother.

"She raised us, ya know, and remember the bracelet she gave me and the bag she gave you—"

Stephen touched the messenger bag lightly. "Yeah," his voice said, soft.

Gavin winced. "Not like I have the bracelet anymore."

"Which brings me," Stephen turned to his younger brother, "to my next question. How on _earth_ are you alive?"

"Ah yes, that. Well, it's kinda," he said, "a long story.

"Ya know how I was alone when you went away? I was attacked by that guy with the knife. He stabbed me _quite_ a few painful times, might I add."

"I can't imagine." The smile Stephen gave was grim and dark.

"Uh-huh, and I think I was pretty close to death. But a portal opened at that moment. Right underneath me. I was too scared and hurt to actually see where it went, and then I jumped into it with everything. I think the guy was traumatised, to say the least."

"The 'guy' disappeared. They said they couldn't find him."

Gavin flinched. "Yikes, that's quite some trauma."

"Yeah, then these people found me. They patched me up. They saved me from The Voidtm. And then they made me King 'cause Dad was King, wasn't he?"

"Wow." Stephen breathed.

"Yeah."

"Though I am glad that you're alive."

"Me too. I thought I'd never see you again."

"Say, the air elementals. Do they have, like, any _Runes_ , per say?"

"Runes?" Gavin frowned. "What kinds, and why do you want it?"

"I'm an air elemental, Gavin."

Gavin spit out his tea, and the tea landed on his brother's face.

"Sorry."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Yea, I have to get the Air Rune, and the other Runes too. Then we can activate them and they can take us home."

Gavin stopped. "You want to _go home_?" the word seemed foreign to Gavin, an oddity in his mouth.

"Yes."

"But why would you? Why don't you want to stay here?"

"You want to stay here?" The air heated up, but wind swirled in from open windows.

"Why would you want to go bac- back there, for the good that world had given you?"

"Don't you see that I have to?" Stephen hissed. "I have to, or they'll just be stuck here!"

Gavin curled his lips slightly, but when he spoke it was steady and calm. "They can go home by themselves, Stephen. I want you to _stay_ , Stephen. Look, I can't lose you again. I just can't."

"Neither do I, Gavin, but I have to!"

Wind picked at their clothing, obviously enough.

"Are you doing this?" Gavin asked quietly.

"I-I can't control it, it comes when I'm emotionally triggered—" He said, and the wind fell slightly.

"Sorry."

"No, I—" Gavin's words were cut off by a scream.

"What in the worlds—" Gavin ran to the window, Stephen hot on his heels, and all they saw were shadows and men.

"Gavin, wait!" Stephen yelled as the other threw open the door in his haste, purple eyes a panicked fire.

"They can't wait!" Gavin ran into the fighting midst, and all trace of his body vanished.

Stephen ran out too. It was just a blur and mess of confusion and noise and he saw fae dragging children away and flying to flee and he saw the air elementals blast gusts of wind at some shadows and some other shadows were attracted to him like moths to a light source and he screamed and a tornado burst from his fingertips and they brought those abnormalities away and beyond and he swept his sweat-soaked hair from his eyes and he screamed for Gavin until he felt his voice die and his throat was sore and he couldn't see him anywhere and the shadows and X's people were striking down people left and right and he saw a child dead and frozen from the freezing of the shadows and he felt sick

He saw Annabelle take down a fae with a sword he could have sworn she never had and he knew she was part of X's army

He didn't care he wanted to see gavin now now now please I cant take it please don't take him away again please please please I don't I cant I don't want to

He saw an air elemental swoop down and he felt them saying something to him but he cant hear and he wont and he felt them stuff something into his hand and he felt like he was going to die and live at the same time

And then he saw someone from that army someone with dark blue hair just like gavins but wronger wronger and that guy has his hair falling over his eyes and he held a knife and gavin was just there and he screamed but no sound came out but he had to warn but he couldn't and gavin turned and the pure terror in his face carved itself into stephens memories forever and he wont ever forget he wont he wont because that guy with dark blue cobalt hair plunges his knife right into gavin into his chest where his heart was and stephen yells with no sound and he felt his throat detoriate even further and further

And he ran he ran he didn't know where but he did and he abandoned his brother and he thought he saw his face again dying dying still in his mind and he wanted so desperately to be dead

Please let me be dead please please please I want to die

Please.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stephen: *dies inside*


	18. Crack o’ Clock |17|

Dan's bleeding. He was, and he felt strangely annoyed at the steady trickle of blood that dampened his front.

What the heck? He was literally sleeping moments ago, with the three of them—

_Holy fuck, the three of them._

He opened his eyes.

He saw a figure. It was cloaked, dark, but around the thing danced lights of brown, sliver, orange and blue. It glowed.

"Uh--?" Daniel began, but the figure turned to face him.

Is this—

_"Hola, mi amigo._ Daniel, isn't it?" He saw this weirdly tall figure wrapped in a long ass cloak push the hood off his face.

"X." He simply said, leaning toward Daniel. Dan, wrapped in haphazard ropes.

He should probably start quaking now, but he couldn't do it any longer.

Daniel laughed at his face.

"Wha—what are you laughing at?" X hissed at him. Dan cried actual tears of laughter, tears dripping down his collapsing face, doubling as much as he could tied up.

"What are you laughing at?"

"This is fucking _hilarious_ , O Great X!" Daniel wheezed out, clenching his numb hands, mouth open in a wide grin, staring Xander head-on. A small part of him had absolutely no idea what kind of death wish he had, but the Stephen-er part of him's wreaking havoc in his head and the Hosuh part of him's not doing anything.

"'Choo gonna do, talk to me in Spanish until I die of boredom?" For some reason his lungs hurt. He recalled the stabbing. Oh yeah.

Then X backhands him across his face.

"Filthy undeserving brat. You don't even deserve powers."

His cheek stung, but for some reason it set Jay's weird humour in him and sent him in a roaring fit.

"Sir, you—"

X barely turned his head. "Quiet, Eli."

_Eli?_

"Daniel!" Elias Lim's voice shook him.

"Don't you want those powers, E? Keep quiet, for your brother's sake." There was no answer. Daniel couldn't think at that point, but at least he absorbed that Eli was somehow here in this weird power elemental world.

"Good. So. For personal reasons," X tilted towards Daniel, whose breathing was out of control, and X stared Slytherin-ly at him, a pull up of the corner of his mouth. "I'll have to take your power. And the other's powers, too. If they would just stop escaping and sit quietly in their restrains."

"Pffttt." Daniel didn't expect anything less than that of the others. "Maybe it's karma."

"Is that a lizard or something?" made Dan burst into tears again.

"Gah, you're not good at villain-ing, Xander. Jaiden will be disappointed."

_"We do not speak her name here."_ X laid a fast hand on him, and he felt something tug at his being, fluid, wet, washing his earth away. It hurt. Badly.

He made sure nothing slipped his lips, though.

"I'm going to drain your power today, mayhaps." X straightens, clearly disgruntled.

"Do it. I dare you." Daniel grinned at his affronted figure.

_"Dare accepted."_ Xander smiled, a bright charming smile with no substance.

_You three better come, cause I think I'm going to die soon._

<>

"The little son of a bitch water droplet put these things way too tight, ugh." Jay said, unable to move an inch.

"Hey! I mean, I am a water elemental too, okay?!" Hosuh yells back, tied to the opposite side of the room, his voice echoing.

They hung to the top of the ceiling.

"Say, how do we even get into this kind of stuff?" Jay said, pushing with his feet at the closer wall, swinging himself back and forth.

"Singing." Hosuh deadpanned.

"Say, you can sass too!" Jay said, delighted.

"Though like we lost Stephen too."

"Probably out there living his best life.

"If being hunted is best life."

"Jay, we are literally _paintings hanging from a ceiling."_

"How is that a bad thing?"

Hosuh ignored that.

"But I did snag a knife." Hosuh says, trying to shift his hands to retrieve something.

"The water droplet took it, remember?"

"I snagged _two_ knives, Jay."

"Ohhhhh, that makes much more sense!" Jay exclaimed.

Hosuh sawed at the ropes with an ornate knife while rolling his eyes, skin covered in grime and blood.

The last strands were cut easily enough through with the mean sharpness of he knife, and Hosuh screamed as he dropped toward the ground. Hopefully not loud enough.

"Catch, I guess?"

Hosuh threw the knife up and missed by probably nine meters.

"Ignore that—" Hosuh picked up the knife that clattered noisily on the ground, more noise.

"I swear, I'll aim it right after a bit!"

He did not aim it right after a bit.

It took fifty-seven tries for Jay to grasp the knife at its sharp end, narrowly avoiding the cutting open of skin on Jay's hand. And the tomato juice that might've squirted out.

Jay swore something that wasn't suitable to be typed out in words.

Hosuh covered his own pure ears.

Soon after, Jay leapt down with a kick-off from the said wall, pushing a loop-de-loop, and then didn't stick the landing, falling face-first.

"Serves you right." Hosuh proceeded to take back the knife with Jay's indignant protests, then smacking Jay's head with its hilt.

They snuck past corridors of weird shadow things that chilled them to the bone. They wished they never got engulfed in one of those things.

Then there was a door. _'THIS ISN'T THE ROOM WHERE X INTERROGATES PEOPLE AND DRAINS THEIR POWER'_ was slashed in bold red letters on a label.

"This is definitely the room where X interrogates people and drains their power." They said simultaneously.

Jay grabbed the doorknob, but Hosuh grabbed his wrist in turn. "What do we even do if He's inside and there's many shadow things?"

"We," Jay flashes a wide grin at Hosuh, "wing it."

He twisted the knob. The door opened with a creak.

There was nothing inside except a sign.

_"HAH! I TROLLED YOU LITTLE ESCAPIST SHITS!"_ in the same handwriting. "Aw, dang it, I really thought we had him."

There was a whole corridor with the exactly same words, but one in yellow.

They ran towards it.

_'THIS IS THE REAL ROOM WHERE X INTERROGATES PEOPLE AND DRAINS THEIR POWER'_ was painted, but barely visibly.

"Is this?" Hosuh turned towards Jay, hair flying and splaying outwards. Jay smirked back, opening his eyes, the glow in his eyes lighting his face mischievously.

"We'll go in in style, this time around."

<>

"Ha!" Jay yelled and slammed skull-first into X.

"What in the worlds?!" shrieked X, fumbling, failing backwards. Jay snapped and realised that his powers suddenly worked. He slammed his flaming fist into X's stomach, knocking him, but there seemed to be no damage done.

Hosuh rushed to Dan, untying him while he made small confused noises, breathing strangely through his nose, making peculiar sounds in his throat.

It sounded like "???????????", in all fact, and Hosuh nearly giggled.

Dan fell to the ground, clutching his front, blood staining his hands. He coughed, something about "what the heck was that entrance, Hosuh Lee", and Hosuh supported him by swinging Dan's arm over his.

X threw Jay off, Jay vaulting and landing squarely and efficiently on both feet, knees bent, both hands curled and lit with fire. X sent a combination of water and earth, both able to fully extinguish fire totally, but Hosuh flung a hand while on the ground with the slumped Dan, forcing a wave of water to knock the earth away and mix with the rest of the water, leaving Jay free to attack once more.

Dan groaned from Hosuh's side and he turned concernedly towards him. Water could heal things, right?

He focused. He looked upon Daniel, placing his smaller hands on Dan's, and he concentrated, for him to unleash the water, to let the dam of the water go, to release it—

His hands lit with a white glow.

Then it stopped glowing.

Daniel shifted, then he lay still.

Hosuh quickly put his hand to Dan's nose. The faintest of hot air on his skin. He was breathing. Good.

Jay screamed. "Let's get out, out, out!"

Jay pulled Hosuh by his wrist, burning him a little, while Hosuh tried to carry Dan, dragging his bottom half on the floor.

There was a door. A main door. Labelled, of course, like everything was.

"YOLO!" Jay yelled. "Wait!" Hosuh screamed. Daniel did not scream nor say anything, because he was akin to dead.

The door lead to a cliff, and a weird blue thing that reminded them of portals.

Jay pulled them to the edge and off it, and the delighted screams of _"hey! Death!"_ and the horrified yells that spoke indecipherable nonsense and both cut off halfway as they met with the portal which sucked them in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dan: *distinct laughing and wheezing noises*  
> Jay and Hosuh: *bangs on every door in a horror movie*  
> Stephen: idiots  
> Stephen:  
> Stephen: oh wait those are mY-
> 
> I wonder who even reads this book


	19. lmao discontinued

bye fandom it was a fun ride

im still continuing the Two Sides and then Three fic. so yeah.

-Double 

(ive written this so many times i dont even want to write it again)


End file.
